


Ignite

by undasrego



Category: Hamilton - Fandom, Hamilton - Miranda, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: I don't know, I haven't written that far yet, I just think I should have some diversity, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Trans Alexander Hamilton, Trans John Laurens, Trans everyone, a little bit of sad stuff, alex is just so tired, except for Burr, i'm deep into this quaranteine i am only writing friendships and yearning tenderness, is lafayette bad?, john has lots of anxiety, maria is the only valid character, not a lot of smut in this one, not because he's bad though, the harry potter au no one asked for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:08:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 87,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24656623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/undasrego/pseuds/undasrego
Summary: Alexander Hamilton was the only wizard in the world who would rather chew glass than attend Hogwarts school of Wizardry, but, after the brutal murder of his mother and the blame unjustly falling upon his teacher, Alexander has no choice but to subject himself to the cold English winds, a shocking difference from the warm Caribbean seas he was so used to.He's not the only one with a bone to pick when it comes to the Ministry, as he soon learns, and the injustice does not just stop at a botched trial when it comes to the wizarding world.A Hamilton Harry Potter au where John and Alex are both trans because I'm trans and I hate JK Rowling.
Relationships: Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens, Maria Reynolds/Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler
Comments: 75
Kudos: 224





	1. The Sorting Hat

Alex had never been particularly fond of tea. He thought it was bitter, tasteless, and unnecessary. Luckily, living in the Caribbean, he had never really had to drink tea. Most of the people there drank coffee, and he did too. He would start off his morning with a freshly brewed cup of coffee, read a chapter of the book he was assigned, usually something on physics or space, occasionally something about the ocean, and wait for his magister to show up. From there, he would become a student, learning magic and becoming a better wizard.

Unfortunately, that’s not where he was.

Alex’s eyes were bleary as he stared at the tea. It was in a white cup, rimmed with gold. The color was a light brown. It had no sugar, no cream. Alex hadn’t even asked for tea, but it was set down in front of him regardless. There was a voice in the background, it was speaking to him, but he wasn’t listening. Instead, he was changing the temperature of his tea rapidly. He blinked, and it began bubblings and boiling, jostling the cup on the saucer. He blinked again and the tea was frozen in the cup, frosted over a bit. He blinked once more and it was back to its lukewarm state. He wasn’t sure if this place even had coffee.

“Mr. Hamilton,” the woman gasped. “Are you listening?”

Alex looked up. “I would be if you were saying anything of meaning to me.”

The minister of magic sighed from where he sat. “You man, you must understand, these circumstances are… unique. Your cooperation would be greatly appreciated.”

Alex blinked, freezing the tea again. “And what would you know of cooperation, minister?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Then beg.”

Dumbledore chuckled lightly. “Cornelius, I do believe we ought to offer the boy a bit of a break.” He looked to Alex, who had made his tea boil again. “What Minerva was saying was a basic explanation of our rules. I’m sure if we give you a handbook, you’ll read it.”

“Maybe,” Alex muttered.

Dumbledore leaned back. “Alexander, you’ve taken this transition very gracefully, so I do believe we’ll sort you, and then let you unpack your things. Other students should be arriving in a day, so tonight, you’ll have your dorm to yourself, but tomorrow, you will join your house at dinner, hopefully, make a friend or two.”

Alex scoffed.

“Minerva, please, fetch the hat.”

Professor McGonagle ushered herself over to a shelf, pulling down a dirty brown hat. She walked over to Alex, humming. “Relax. This won’t hurt.”

Alex tried to duck out of the hat’s way, but in a second, it was on his head.

“Hmm,” hummed a voice, which sounded similar to an old door being yanked open. “Yes, yes, he’s quite complex. Oh, you will want to keep an eye on this one. Hmm. He has the brains to be a Ravenclaw, that he does. Very smart, very. But no, he’s not quite there. Too honest to be a Ravenclaw. He could be a Gryffindor, he could, he truly could. But… oh, he’s too independent, too withdrawn. I’ll have to go with…” The hat paused, thinking. “Slytherin!”

Dumbledore clapped, smiling. “Yes, yes, that is what I thought as well! Many great wizards come from Slytherin, you know.”

“Do they?” Alex asked sarcastically, offering a bitter smile about an inch away from a scowl. “Do they really?”

“Your teacher did.”

Alex’s sarcastic smile turned into a frown. “Can I go?”

“Snape, will you please lead Alexander to his dorm?” Dumbledore smiled. “You’ll find your stuff is already on your bed.”

“Great.” Alex turned and walked out of the room. A man in dark black robes followed him. He had a large nose, a greasy looking straight hair. Alex would’ve rather been taken by the shrill woman who seemed to only like him a little bit.

“Your dorms are in the dungeon,” Snape started, his voice slow, and spoken as if the words were dipped in swamp water.

“Charming,” Alex muttered.

“Your American attitude may have flown with your joke of a teacher, but I am your house professor, and I will allow no attitude from you,” Snape growled, looking at Alex.

Alex clenched his jaw. “Don’t call him a joke.”

Snape let out a low and condescending hum, and the conversation ended. Snape guided Alex to the dungeon, where the Slytherin dorms were, and then pointed to the boy's dorm. “Do not cause any trouble.”

Alex didn’t reply, just stalked off into the dorm. It was plain, with stone flooring, and a green and grey color scheme. Alex could see his trunk on a bed, as well as a suitcase, and a brown paper package. The package hadn’t been with his stuff before, so he assumed it was the rule handbook for Hogwarts. He was about to toss it, but then, something about the handwriting on the front caught his attention.

Alex ripped open the package. Inside were two books, and a piece of paper. One of the books had a brown leather cover, so old the title was faded off. Alex opened it, and found the title on an inside page. ‘A pamphlet on the art of ignition and restoration.’ The book was much more than a pamphlet though. Alex put it aside, then picked up another book. ‘Alpha and Omega: The Search For The Beginning And The End Of The Universe.’

“Huh,” Alex muttered, slipping through it. It wasn’t a particularly long book, but it looked interesting. Alex then picked up the note, reading it aloud. “Alexander, I would like you to read and annotate Alpha and Omega this time next month, and I expect you to have mastered the contents of Ignition and Restoration by the time I get out. Best wishes, your Magister.”

Alex put the note in the front cover in the book about cosmology and then opened up his suitcase. He pulled out his books, placing them on a provided shelf, then put a few things on his nightstand; the water bottle he hexed to never run out or taste stale, his sleep medication, a picture of him, his mother, and his magister all standing together and smiling. Alex stared at the faces for a moment, then laid down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He blinked, and there was a projection of stars.

Alex wasn’t aware what time it was, but he felt tired. He hadn’t been sleeping lately. He hadn’t even been taking his meds. Most nights were spent staring at the ceiling. He remembered when a ministry worker came, after the arrest, told Alex that he was being transferred to Hogwarts in England after the hearing. Alex didn’t want to go to England, he had never wanted to go to England, even just to visit. It seemed grey.

Alex thought a while, then rolled over, knocking back some sleep meds and water. He pulled the blankets over himself and rolled onto his side, closing his eyes and falling asleep.

-

Alex slept most of the next day. He wasn’t proud of it, no, but he needed the sleep. When he woke up, there were a few uniforms and robes hanging up, all of them with the Slytherin emblem sewn into them. Alex got the hint and got changed into the uniform. He stared in the mirror and groaned. The pants did nothing to hide his hips. He found a cardigan and slipped it on. It helped, so that was good.

Alex tied his hair up, with enough down to cover the birthmark on his cheek, then grabbed the book that had been assigned to him by his magister, then headed out of the dorm. There were people in the hallways, and he got a few odd looks, which he met with glares. He was a stranger here, and everyone knew it. He knew it. For once, he was glad his mother had shredded that Hogwarts letter. He had never really cared much about it, but he was glad he didn’t grow up attending this school. He was glad he never got assigned a wand, a slow and unnecessary education.

Alex found the dinner hall and sat down at the Slytherin table. He was about to walk towards it, but he was stopped by someone. They must’ve been a seventh year like himself. They were tall, with light brown skin and curly black hair pulled into a bun. Their arms were crossed over their broad chest, and they seemed to almost glare down at Alex. On his sweater was the emblem for another house, red and gold, with a lion.

“You,” he started. “Aren’t you the one whose teacher snapped and killed all those people?”

“Get out of my way, dick,” Alex muttered. “I’m not in the fucking mood.”

“Whoa, whoa, what’d you just say to me?”

“Laf!” A voice called out. “Leave him alone.”

Alex looked and saw another red and gold emblem, attached to a tall and skinny boy, with curly black hair and summer brown skin and a smattering of freckles on his face. He looked almost uncomfortable with the confrontation and offered Alex a sympathetic look with his lips pressed together.

“Whatever,” Laf muttered, knocking Alex’s shoulder before turning to the other guy.

Alex nodded to the curly-haired boy before finding an empty spot at the table. He opened up his book and began reading it, giving a clear signal to the people around him that he did not want to be spoken to. Thankfully, he was mostly left alone.

There was a sorting ceremony before dinner, but it took too long, so Alex got himself a bag of chips and continued to read and annotate the book. He got a good bit into it before dinner finally appeared. He was famished since he hadn’t really eaten all day, so he found himself indulging a bit, getting an extra scoop of everything.

“Pardon me, are you Alexander Hamilton?”

Alex looked over to see maybe a sixth year looking at him. He had dark brown skin with a shaved head and wide eyes. “Depends, who’s asking?”

The kid's eyes lit up and a smile stretched across his face. “Oh, well sure! I’m Aaron Burr, at your service. I have been looking for you.”

Alex gave a nonplussed look. “I’m getting nervous.”

“Oh! Well, I was told by the headmaster that you were a new student, from the Americas. That you didn’t quite know your way around, so I’m here to help! I’m a Slytherin as well, though everyone expected me to be a Hufflepuff.”

“Aaron, would you calm down?” A girl muttered. “You’re scaring him.”

Alex looked over to see a girl, curly black hair, pretty eyes, and deep red lips.

“Maria Lewis,” she introduced herself as. “You’re the talk of the town, Hamilton.”

“Oh, am I?” Alex muttered.

“Yeah, lotta buzz.” She looked around. “‘S cool that you’re a Slytherin. We get a bad rap, but you’re cool.”

“You don’t know that,” Alex pointed out. “Maybe I’m a murderer. Maybe as we speak I’m planning out a mass murder of the ministry of magic.”

“Well, I wouldn’t complain,” Maria chuckled. “You’re muggle-born, yes?”

“Yes,” Alex nodded slowly.

“I’m a half-blood, but Aaron over here, he’s a pureblood, but big muggle-born activist. You guys get a lot of hate, ‘specially from some of the Gryffindors.”

“What are Gryffindors?” Alex asked. “I was supposed to read the handbook, but I didn’t.”

“Oh, well, Hogwarts has four different houses,” Aaron started. “Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. Everyone is sorted into a house, and those are the people you live in a dorm with and stuff like that.” Aaron pointed at a table behind them, decked in purple. “Ravenclaws are pretty cool but you should never get to close or they might be the cause of your social murder.” Aaron pointed to the far back table, which was yellow. “Hufflepuffs, absolutely harmless. Sweetest people you’ll ever meet. Good friends, but they’re healers, they’re helpers. You go to them if you need assistance.” Aaron pointed at the table where the boy who had confronted Alex was sitting. “Gryffindors. Talk about ego complex-”

“Aaron,” Maria groaned.

“It’s true. Always the reckless heroes and all the great good wizards have been Gryffindor, so they all think they’re prodigies or something. Like, the ground where they walk is gold.” Aaron shook his head. “A lot of them can be assholes. Then there’s us. Slytherin. We get a bad rap because all the evil wizards have come from this house, but we’re pretty cool.”

Maria hummed. “What are you reading?”

“The Search For The Beginning And The End Of The Universe.” Alex shrugged. “It’s an assignment from my magister.”

“Your what?” Burr looked almost confused.

“My teacher,” Alex clarified.

“Huh.” Maria shrugged. “Why cosmology?”

“Science,” Alex answered. “Magic doesn’t do everything.”

“So are you any good at magic?” Aaron asked.

Alex looked up from his plate and turned a plate of chicken wings into a plate of snakes. A girl screamed and jumped out of the table, knocking over a bench and successfully knocking over a fair amount of people. Alex’s eyes widened when he realized a professor was coming over, so he quickly turned it back to chicken wings.

“Whoops,” he muttered.

“Who did that? Everyone, hands up! Where are your wands?” A short professor gasped.

Alex held up his hands and was glanced over. No one was prosecuted, and the professor left, huffing about how kids were just getting more difficult. Alex snickered a bit, taking a sip of the water.

“You can do magic without a wand?” Maria asked in a hushed voice.

“It’s the only way I learned,” Alex told her.

“But, but you can’t do that,” she gasped.

Alex turned his water into wine and took a sip. “The cherry wine in my goblet says otherwise.” He looked over at the Gryffindor table. “What can you tell me about that guy, Laf?”

“Lafayette? French, rude as shit, got a personality, but he’s top of all his classes,” Aaron muttered. “Plays quidditch, the works. Teachers love him.”

“Huh.” Alex finished up his food, then looked around. “Are we allowed to leave, or do we have to wait?”

“Dumbledore hasn’t done his speech yet,” Maria stated. “He always does a speech.”

“Attention, students of Hogwarts!”

“Speak of the devil.”

Dumbledore smiled, looking over the crowd. “Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. I hope everyone has found themselves settling in easily. I would like to remind you all that the forbidden forest is still just that, forbidden. Any student who goes in there could face dire consequences, even death.”

“What the fuck,” Alex muttered.

“Now, I hope you all welcome back old friends and treat new students just as you would want to be treated in their situation.” Dumbledore seemed to be looking directly at Alex. “For not all are as joyous to be here as you.”

Alex rolled his eyes, standing up to leave as people went back to eating.

“Where are you going?” Aaron asked.

“Bed,” Alex muttered.

“But it’s hardly past supper,” Maria pointed out.

Alex looked around, then nodded, before leaving without another word. He began to wander, looking for the dorm, but realized just how large this castle was. He had no idea where to go. There were a few students wandering, and Alex tried to remember what Burr said. Hufflepuffs were helpers.

Alex approached a large boy, with dark dark skin and a yellow sweater. “Hey, uh-”

He was cut off by a big smile. “Well, hello! I’m Hercules! I don’t believe I’ve seen you around.”

“Yes, I just transferred,” Alex confirmed. “Uh, I was wondering if you could help me find the Slytherin dorms?”

“Of course!” Herc threw his arm around Alex and began to lead him down the hallway. “Where’d you transfer from, huh?”

“Oh, the Americas. The Caribbean, to be more specific,” Alex answered.

“I’ve got a good friend from the Americas, John Laurens.” Herc smiled. “You’ll meet him, I promise. He’s a Gryffindor, kind of a name in this school. How are you liking it here?”

“It wasn’t exactly my first choice,” Alex muttered. “I’m Alex, by the way.”

“It’s really great to meet you, Alex.” Hercules led Alex down some steps. “The Slytherin dorms are awfully cold. I’ll knit you a blanket, you’re probably used too much warmer.”

“Oh, you really don’t have to.”

“It’ll take a night, it’s no bother. Besides, Hufflepuff dorm is right by the kitchen, so I’ll have plenty of snacks. And with magic, you can do anything in a night.” Herc smiled. “Well, here’s the dorm. Do you have a schedule?”

Alex nodded, fishing the paper out of his pocket. He handed it over to Hercules, hoping that maybe he could have someone to be friends with.

“We have astronomy together, cool!” Herc smiled brightly at Alex. “After breakfast, let’s meet by the main hall's doors, yes? I’ll show you where the astronomy tower is. This is a big school, you’ll most likely get lost, but don’t worry, I did during my first year here.” Herc smiled. “I’ll let you go. Have a good night, Alex, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Alright, you too.” Alex entered the common area and went straight to his bed. He jumped when he realized something alive was there. It was a ferret, a white ferret, with a brown face. It stared up at Alex, almost as confused. Alex picked it up, examining it, then picked up the note on his bed. It wasn’t really a note, just a piece of paper no bigger than a business card.

‘Keep it close. You’ll need a friend.’

Alex looked at the ferret. “If I knew any better, I would think it’s you, George, as an animagus, but I know your animagus is a dog.” Alex set the ferret down. “I guess you’re my only family.” Alex stared at the ferret. “What’s your name?”

The ferret stared back, a blank look behind its eyes.

“Are you a boy or a girl?”

The ferret didn’t answer.

“God, fucking mood,” Alex muttered. “I’ll call you something neutral then. How about Aedifico? It’s Latin, so it's cool.” Alex huffed. “I don’t have food for you. I’ll take care of that tomorrow.” Alex paused, then shook his head. “Oh, God, my only friend is a ferret.”

Aedificio crawled onto Alex’s pillow.

Alex sighed and picked up the textbook of ignition and restoration, sitting back and reading it. Aedificio rested on Alex’s shoulder, every now and then lifting its head to sniff something. It took about an hour for the dorm to fill up, and Alex found himself quickly drawing the curtains to his bed and continuing to read. He paused, putting down his book and listening in.

“Hamilton, his last name is Hamilton,” came a voice.

“He seemed nice.” That was Burr, no doubt.

“He’s probably crazy.”

Alex sat up, eyebrow cocked.

“His old teacher like, snapped and killed a bunch of people, including Hamilton’s mom, and-”

Alex ripped open the curtain, storming up to the person who was talking. “That is not true! Do not talk if you know nothing but rumors!”

“Whoa, what the fuck,” the kid muttered. “Chill.”

“He didn’t-” Alex stopped, swallowing hard. “He didn’t kill my mother. If any of you knew at all how corrupt our government is, you would know that the trial was botched and-” Alex felt like he couldn’t breathe for a moment. “And that’s not what happened.”

“Alex-”

Alex cut Aaron off. “Save it.” He grabbed his book and Aedificio, storming out of the dorm room and down the castle hallway. He didn’t really know where he was going, but he needed to be alone. He needed to have some privacy. God, it felt like he hadn’t really been alone since that night. He needed some space, he needed-

“Whoa!”

Alex ran right into someone, knocking them over. Alex fell too, dropping Aedificio and his book. The ferret was fine, but a bit disgruntled, and the book fell spine first, so it wasn't harmed in the slightest. Alex huffed, grabbing his things as he looked to the kid he had run into. It was the same kid who stopped Laf earlier in the dinner hall.

“Sorry,” Alex muttered.

“Where are you going in such a hurry?” The guy asked, brushing himself off. “It’s dark soon.”

“So?”

“So we’re not allowed to be out after dark.”

Alex stared at the boy for a second, then let out a long groan. “Are there any redeeming qualities about this fucking school or is it just all bullshit?”

“It’s just a rule,” the guy shrugged.

“Yeah, and it’s fucking stupid. Back home-” Alex stopped himself. There was no back home anymore. “Nevermind.”

“Hey, wait, what’s your name?” The guy started.

“You already know,” Alex muttered.

“Fair enough. I’m John.”

Alex looked him up and down. “It suits you.”

“Thanks.” John looked around a bit. “You should get back to your dorm.”

“No. Thanks for the advice though.” Alex turned and kept walking. He didn’t stay to listen to any reasoning and found himself making his way out of the castle. He kept walking, straight into the forest. He laid out his textbook, standing in front of a new pine. He focused, staring at it, then blinked. In a moment, it had burst into flames, burning down to nothing.

Alex stared at it for a little while, then looked back in the textbook, trying to figure out how to restore it. He stared down the pile of ash, focus, thinking the spell clearly in his head. He stared, and stared. He stared until the edge of his vision turned white and his nose began to bleed.

“Dammit.” Alex wiped it on the grey sweater sleeve. He missed his Hawian button-downs.

Alex tried to restore the tree a few more times, then gave up. There was no point. He couldn’t do it tonight. Alex didn’t want to go back yet, he really didn’t, but he knew he’d have to at one point. 

‘His old teacher like, snapped and killed a bunch of people, including Hamilton’s mom.’

Alex shook his head, swallowing hard. He closed his eyes and sat down, trying to take deep breaths. Aedificio curled up in his lap, squeaking lightly. He felt like he was going to throw up. He would’ve rather been anywhere else. He would’ve rather been home. He wanted to be home, he wanted things to be normal again.

Alex groaned. It was officially dark. He knew he needed to get back to the dorm. He really didn’t want to, but there was no point in spending the night outside. Alex remembered John say something about it being against the rules to be out, so Alex cloaked himself with a spell and somehow found the dorm again. He uncloaked himself in the common area and walked into the dorm.

“Where did you go?” Aaron asked quietly, seeing as most people were in bed and quieted down. “You’ve been gone over an hour.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Alex replied. He got into his bed and closed the curtains, slipping off his clothes and releasing the binding spell on his chest. He took a deep breath, then slipped into a pair of sleep shorts and a baggy tee-shirt. He placed Aedificio on his pillow, then grabbed his meds, popping a pill in his mouth, and projecting the night sky onto the ceiling of his canopy bed. He sighed, watching the stars.

“Alex.”

Alex poked his head out of the curtains. “Burr, what could you possibly need?”

Aaron stared at his lap from his bed, shrugging. “Just wanna say I don’t believe what they’re saying.”

“What do you believe?” Alex asked.

“I don’t know.” Aaron looked at Alex. “I guess I believe what’s true, and I believe that you know what’s true, so I believe in your story, whatever it is.”

“Yeah. Go to sleep.” Alex closed his curtain and pulled the covers over himself, closing his eyes and falling into a restless slumber.


	2. The Astronomy Tower

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, I've actually been writing this since Death Of The Romantic, I'm just now publishing it.

Alex was quiet at breakfast. Maybe it was the pointed look Alex gave to the people around him as he sat down, book in hand, but no one bothered him. He quickly turned the bitter black tea into bitter black coffee, and sipped it, pouring over his textbook, which he had charmed to look like a simple novel. There was quite a lot about fire in this textbook, and if Alex couldn’t do ignition and restoration, he could at least try a few other things.

Alex looked at Aaron’s plate, then blinked, and suddenly, it was on fire. Or at least it looked like it was on fire. Aaron yelped, and Alex made the fire vanish, leaving Aaron’s food untouched.

Maria snickered. “Alex.”

“That wasn’t me,” Alex mumbled, keeping his eyes down.

“I think he’s mad at me.”

Alex lit Aaron’s food on fire again.

Breakfast finished and Alex met Hercules by the main door. He almost expected the Hufflepuff not to show, but there he was, standing there, smiling and talking to another girl. She was tall, slim, with curly hair and a strong jaw. Alex almost wanted her to break him with her thighs. Alex timidly approached them, and while Herc didn’t interrupt his conversation with the girl, he put his hand on Alex’s shoulder, squeezing his arm a bit.

There was a pause in the conversation, and Herc pulled Alex forward. “Angelica, this is Alex. Alex and I have astronomy together. Alex, this is Angelica, probably the smartest person you will ever meet in your entire life.” Herc laughed. “Our families are friends, so we’ve known each other since kids.”

“Hi,” Angelica smiled, holding out her hand. “How are you?”

“I’m good, I’m good.” Alex swallowed, almost faking a smile. He looked to Herc a bit nervously, then back to Angelica.

“Yikes, he looks like he’s about to shit himself.” Angelica put her hand on Alex’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I don’t bite.”

Herc chuckled. “Well, I should show him to the astronomy tower. I’ll see you after classes, yeah, Angie?”

“Great.” Angelica leaned in and kissed Herc’s cheek. “Bye.”

“Bye.” Herc put his arm around Alex as they began walking. “How’d you sleep?”

“I slept okay.” That was a lie. “Is she your girlfriend?”

“No, we’re just close.” Herc hugged Alex a bit closer to him. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m an affectionate person.” Herc waved at someone, smiling a bit. “The tower is a bit of a walk, but it’s actually nice. The professor, Sinistra, she’s absolutely crazy, batshit. But a real sweetheart.”

Alex nodded.

“You don’t talk much, do you?”

Alex shook his head.

“Don’t worry about it.” Herc squeezed Alex’s shoulder. “You don’t gotta talk, I can talk enough for the both of us. Besides, I got plenty of friends who don’t talk. Angie, sometimes she doesn’t speak to me for hours, but she sits with me, and that’s enough. I know when to shut up, don’t get me wrong, and if you do ever need someone to just sit with, I can sit with you. I can also hug you.”

“Thanks,” Alex nodded.

Herc continued talking to Alex, leading him to the astronomy tower. Herc was right, the teacher was batshit crazy, but she was nice. Alex didn’t exactly appreciate her jerking his chin and looking at the port wine stain he had on his jaw, but she did compliment Alex’s eyes and tell him that he was capable of great magic.

Alex spent the class reading. He didn’t look up once, not even when the teacher called his name. He wanted to make it very clear that he was not in the mood to be there. He had no interest in this class and was very much so more focused on other things. He didn’t care if it was rude, because Alex felt like the world had been pretty rude to him lately.

“You don’t seem to be very interested in the class,” Herc pointed out as they began to pack up.

“I’m not.”

“Why?”

Alex looked at Herc. “Because this is all bullshit to me. I don’t want to be here.”

Herc seemed almost surprised. “Why?”

Alex shook his head. “Where’s the herbology class?”

“Uh, go out the west entrance, you’ll see the greenhouses.” Herc smiled at Alex. “I’ll see you whenever.”

Alex nodded, pressing his lips together. “Yeah, you too.”

Alex followed Herc’s instructions, finding the greenhouses, and making his way into them and finding where a class was gathered. He took a place in the back. Aedifico had finally decided to wake up and poked his head out of the deep pocket of Alex’s robe.

“Hey,” Alex mumbled, patting its head.

Aedificio looked at Alex, blinking, then crawled back into the pocket.

“Hey, you.” Maria sat down next to Alex. “Didn’t know we had this class together.”

“Neither did I.” Alex looked around. “When is it starting?”

“Whenever, I guess.” Maria hummed. “So what’s your deal?”

“My deal?”

“Yeah, why are you so…” Maria waved her hand around. “Like that. Emo. You’re emo. Why are you so emo?”

Alex’s eyebrows shot up. He almost didn’t know how to answer. “Probably because a shitty establishment who didn’t acknowledge my existence for the first seventeen years of my life decided it was okay to completely fuck it up, and leave the people who actually deserve to be punished with nothing more than a small smack on the wrist.”

Maria nodded. “Huh, that’ll do it. I don’t know why you’re so surprised though.”

“Pardon?” Alex asked.

“What? You think the ministry has an honest worker in it?” Maria shook her head. “They’re grabbing their ankles for higher and more powerful families. That’s why the people who deserve to be punished never did. Because they had money. Not a single law is passed without the approval of every upper-class pureblood wizarding family.”

Alex shook his head. “That’s stupid.”

“Yeah, it is.” Maria gave a sarcastic smile. “It’s why it’s time someone caused some chaos.”

“What do you-”

“Alright, class! Welcome to herbology!”

Alex definitely believed his education was much higher than what they had at this joke of a school, but God, he knew jack shit about British herbology. Magic on the island was different. It was a different style, with different recipes and plants.

He spent most of the class passing notes with Maria, who apparently was an expert in this. She told him she could help him cram, as long as he didn’t bolt right after supper. He agreed to meet her in the common room and study together. Alex quite liked Maria. She was honest, didn’t dance around the subject of what had happened, and she was kind of a bitch, which was endearing. Well, not kind of. She was a bitch. But Alex adored it.

“So, what? You got someone back on that island of yours?” Maria asked as the class ended.

Alex shook his head. “No, not really.”

“See anyone here who tickles your fancy?” Maria asked.

“Why? You interested?” Alex snorted.

“Funny.” Maria chuckled. “I got my eye on someone else. I don’t think they’re interested, but that’s alright.” Maria nudged Alex. “You caught someone’s attention.”

Alex looked to where she was nodding and suppressed a groan. It was John. He honestly didn’t know why John was walking towards him, and he didn’t care to. He tried to push forward, but Maria grabbed his arm, smiling widely at John.

“Everyone, everyone, step aside, this is the great John Laurens!” She gasped. “Accompanied by none other than Lafayette! We are unworthy!” Maria gave a sarcastically dramatic bow. “Forgive me for existing as a half-blood within your presence!”

“Funny,” John muttered. He looked to Alex. “Did you get in trouble?”

“For what?”

“Last night.”

Alex raised his eyebrows, cocking his head. “I don’t think I know what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah!” Maria leaned into Alex. “What is he talking about?”

Alex just shrugged.

“Come on, don’t waste your time with him,” Lafayette scoffed. “He was basically raised by muggles, the fuck would he know about anything?”

“My mom’s a muggle and she’ll fuck your ass up!” Maria gasped. “You Gryffindors are, are dogs! All assholes! I don’t need this shit, and neither does my best friend Alex. You all suck!” Maria grabbed Alex’s arm. “Come on, they’re just gonna be rude.”

“Why are they like that?” Alex asked.

“Their house has had some real special wizards in there, all the important ones, so they think that makes them important too. It doesn’t, it really doesn’t, but they act like it. They don’t really bug Hufflepuffs or Ravenclaws, because those houses… they’re no threat, really. We get picked on because all the evil wizards have come from Slytherin. That’s not our fault! Just, Slytherin is a good breeding ground for evil.”

“So are we gonna be evil?”

Maria nodded, smiling. “Absolutely wicked.”

“My teacher was a Slytherin,” Alex mused. “He went here.”

“Makes sense you’re a Slytherin too. Where are you going?” Maria asked.

Alex pulled out his schedule, humming. “I got muggle studies.”

“Aye!” Maria smiled. “Come on, we’re headed to the same place.”

“Are we?” Alex mused.

“We are.” Maria continued leading Alex to the muggle studies room. “Yes, Slytherin has a big stereotype of being bad. I mean, look at the Malfoys. You ever heard of them?”

Alex shook his head.

“Well, consider yourself lucky. Anyways, because we’re considered evil, people kind of stay out of our way.”

“Come on,” Alex scoffed.

“Have you noticed not a single person has gotten in our way?” Maria smiled. “We do have a bit of privilege. You especially.”

“Me?”

“Yeah, your teacher went psycho and killed a bunch of people. That was _your teacher_. Who knows what he taught you?” Maria shot a glare at a first-year Hufflepuff who accidentally knocked her shoulder. The Hufflepuff uttered a scared apology and skittered off.

“He didn’t go psycho, Maria.”

“Whatever you say, Hamilton.” Maria quickly turned, standing right in front of Alex with a bright smile on her face. “But I think you should stop correcting people. A psycho teacher who is capable of murder is much tougher than a dude avenging your mother’s death for you. Makes you sound like less of a bitch, yeah?”

“Hey!”

Maria pulled Alex into a classroom, taking him to the back. “Look, your mom died, that sucks, but you have to make the best of the situation you’re in now. Look around, asshole. In this school, you’re either a predator, or prey.”

“That’s what my teacher taught me, except the predators were grown men,” Alex muttered in a dry attempt to make a joke.

Apparently, it was much funnier to Maria, who threw her head back laughing. “Ha! Alright, Ham man, as I was saying…” Maria paused. “What was I talking about?”

“Prey and predators, that shit.”

“Ah, yes.” She smiled. “You’re either a prey or a predator in this school. You have the potential to be a predator, but you act like prey.”

“I do not.”

“You do too.” Maria rolled her eyes. “Just… assert your dominance. You’re better than this, Hamilton, and if you let yourself be a bitch, then you’re gonna get thrown into a trashcan.”

“Experience?”

“No, I threw a kid into a trashcan, because he was acting like a bitch. It was Burr, actually, which is pretty ironic, because he’s a good friend now.” Maria doodled something on her paper, letting her tongue stick out a bit. “My point is that you need to grow a pair. You’re weak, and people know that, so stop being a bitch and fight back.”

Alex nodded.

“Also, don’t let Lafayette push you around. Don’t just stay silent if he teases you. That’s bullshit. You’re the student of a crazy teacher who snapped and killed a bunch of people who were part of a powerful wizarding family. Act like it.”

“Lafayette seems like a dick,” Alex mumbled.

Maria huffed. “He is.”

“What about John?”

“Pussy bitch. I would throw him into a trashcan, but he’s bigger than me.” Maria snickered. “John’s kinda passive, so maybe you two will get along.”

Alex kicked her from under the table as class started. The two of them passed notes and goofed off most of the class, and then it was lunch. Maria absolutely hated eating in the dining hall for lunch, so Alex found himself with food sitting outside on the bench. Alex had taken Aedificio out of his pocket and fed the creature sandwich meat, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

“You’re kind of a bitch,” Alex pointed out.

“Yeah?”

“Don’t get me wrong, I like it.”

Maria smiled. “I think you and I are gonna be really good friends, Hamilton.”

“Until I go crazy and kill you,” Alex almost joked, though the smile didn’t reach his lips.

Maria, who had no problem with Alex’s dark humor and didn’t dance around what she knew about him at all, threw her head back into a fit of laughter. “Oh, yeah, we’re gonna get into some trouble.”

Alex got to his potions class a bit early and sat down, opening up his book and began to read. He had never had an interest in potions, so his teacher never taught it. Alex had bigger aspirations than potions, so both he, his teacher, and his mother agreed that a semester of it would be fine and nothing more. But now, here Alex was, in the moist and dim room, surrounded by other students.

Suddenly, a mass of black fabric stormed in, slamming the door and almost flying to the head of the classroom. It was Snape, in his ever dramatic manner. Alex rolled his eyes a bit, looking back down at his book. Aedificio peaked out of Alex’s robes, looking around.

“Welcome back to potions,” Snape said, his voice unreasonably slow and dramatic, with a bit of an edge in it. “Today we will be introducing this unit, and getting started, as well as not sneaking in the dark, Mr. Laurens and Lafayette!”

Alex turned and there were John and Laf, standing there with embarrassed looks on their faces.

“Sit down, immediately,” Snape commanded.

The two boys went to the only empty seats. John was next to Alex, Laf next to some girl. In an act of perhaps solidarity, John looked over and smiled at Alex. It was a sweet smile, and Alex couldn’t help but notice the dimple on one of John’s cheeks. He didn’t smile back though, just nodded and looked down at his book again.

Alex didn’t know how much time had passed. Perhaps a lot, perhaps none. He was focused on his book, underlining and making notes. He wanted to just finish it. He didn’t know when his magister was getting out, so he knew he needed to keep up with this book, finish it quickly. Any plans of reading through class were ruined when someone slammed a textbook onto his desk.

“Mr. Hamilton!” Snape strained, glaring down. “Is there something more interesting than my class?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.” Alex nodded, then went back to looking at his book.

This time, the textbook came down on the back of Alex’s head.

“The fuck!” Alex gasped.

“Mr. Laurens, you will escort Mr. Hamilton to the headmaster’s office, and his punishment will be decided there.” Snape turned in a flourish. “Go!”

John quickly got up and grabbed his things, waiting for Alex before walking out of the classroom. Alex was rubbing the back of his head, grumbling. His magister had never hit him, not like that at least.

“God, fuck this school,” Alex mumbled.

“You shouldn’t mess with Snape,” John shrugged. “He’s a dick.”

“Man, whatever.” Alex shoved his book in the pocket without the ferret, then huffed. “Your accent isn’t British, you know that?”

“Yeah, I’m not from here,” John replied.

Alex looked him up and down. “Where, then?”

“South Carolina,” John replied.

“What are you doing all the way over here?”

“It was a school, and America doesn’t really have any good ones.” John shrugged. “My momma went here though, said she liked it. It’s not awful.”

“Sure,” Alex muttered.

“So you’re friends with Maria?”

A curt nod came from the Caribbean, who was beginning to feel like he’d rather be anywhere else than walking down the hall with this boy.

John sighed a bit and walked a bit ahead of Alex, signaling that the conversation was done. Alex stared at John’s build. He was skinny, really skinny, with narrow shoulders and long legs. He had baby hairs growing on the back of his neck that didn’t quite reach where his curly black hair was tied up. He was wearing a grey sweater, with a red and yellow button up under it. He had a bandanna hanging out of his back pocket for God knows what.

“Why are you so skinny?” Alex asked.

John turned around. “You can’t just say shit like that to people.”

“Yes, I can.” Alex crossed his arms. “You’re just a pussy.”

John scowled. “It’s none of your business why I am the way I am. I could ask you plenty of rude things, but I don’t.”

“I’m not stopping you.” Alex almost smiled. “You can ask whatever you want John Laurens. Thanks to the ministry, I’m an open book.”

“Whatever.” John turned and continued walking.

Alex followed him in relative silence until they arrived at an eagle statue almost embedded into the wall.

John cleared his throat. “Lemon drop.”

The eagle began turning and soon a staircase became visible. John was quick to pull Alex onto it as they rode up to the headmaster's office. Alex noticed how John kept picking at his nails, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He seemed anxious. Alex almost wanted to use magic to calm him down a bit, just because it was throwing off his own energy, but he didn’t.

They arrived at the stop and John stepped off. He stuck his hand in a bowl of candy and popped one in his mouth, looking around. Alex did the same, and his mouth watered at the taste of licorice.

“Ah, John Laurens!” Dumbledore smiled, walking down from a balcony. “Are you quite alright, boy?”

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine, I’m just supposed to bring Hamilton here.” John jerked his head over to Alex, who was distracted by something shiny.

“And why is Mr. Hamilton in my office?” Dumbledore asked.

“He mouthed off to Snape,” John replied.

“Ah, yes, that sounds about right.” Dumbledore smiled. “Alexander, how are you today?”

Alex shrugged, looking down.

“I think it’s a bit of a shame you didn’t make it into Gryffindor, you and Mr. Laurens could be good friends, you know?”

Alex hummed, then looked at John, before looking back at Dumbledore. “I suppose. So, is there any reason I’m here? Like, are you gonna make me write lines or something?”

“Snape lacks, oh, what’s the word, empathy. Yes. He lacks empathy.” Dumbledore smiled. “Both of you, sit down. Would you like some tea?”

“Yes please,” John smiled.

Alex just nodded.

Dumbledore sat down at his desk with them and handed them both cups of tea. Alex blinked and turned his into coffee before taking a sip. It tasted like the coffee he drank at home, with just a hint of something else, though Alex couldn’t put his finger on it.

“Alexander, how are you finding your classes so far?”

Alex shrugged, looking around a bit. He sipped his coffee and realized Dumbledore was looking for a verbal answer. He didn’t know how to tell the man to fuck off. “Uh, not bad I guess.”

“You seem to be quite fond of miss Maria Lewis, yes?”

Alex shrugged again, feeling fairly uncomfortable. “Yeah, she’s cool. Nice to hang out with. Kind of mean, but in a good way.”

“She’s always been very fun to have.” Dumbledore chuckled, sipping his own tea before looking at John. “And what about you, John Laurens? How are you feeling? It is the first day after all, and anxiety can run high.”

John stared at his lap. “It’s not too bad. I haven’t had any episodes, so… so that’s good.” John glanced at Alex as if he was intruding on something he was not invited to. “And uh, I have friends and all that.”

“Yes, Mr. Lafayette.” Dumbledore chuckled. “Such a nice boy.” Dumbledore looked back to Alex. “It’s actually quite ideal you’ve come to my office, for I found something you may wish to see.” He stood up, picked up what looked to be a postcard, and handed it to Alex. “Take a look.”

It wasn’t a postcard, upon further observation, it was a picture. Alex recognized his teacher, but younger, with more hair. He had his arm around someone else and was smiling brightly. Alex could just make out the Slytherin emblem on his teacher’s sweater. The picture was moving, so Alex watched his teacher smile and flip off the camera with the other person.

“George always did have quite a sense of humor,” Dumbledore chuckled. “The picture has been sitting on my shelf for quite a while, I was particularly fond of him, but I think it would serve you better, so perhaps you may miss him less.”

Alex swallowed hard, then pulled out his book and put the picture in the front cover. “Thank you.”

“John, how is your mother?” Dumbledore asked.

“Uh, she’s okay. She’s still having trouble finding work, but at least the ministry is still sending money. My younger sister Mary, she starts Hogwarts next year, which is terrifying.” John laughed. “I don’t want anyone to bug her.”

“Will she uphold the Laurens legacy of Gryffindor, or perhaps walk down her own path?” Dumbledore asked.

John shrugged. “She is very book smart, but she’s not as wicked as Ravenclaws can be. I dunno. Whatever she does, we’ll be proud.”

Dumbledore smiled. “Alex, John has a very big family. Many siblings. I’ve had the honor to teach most of them, except for Mary, who I will teach next year. Do you have any siblings?”

The idea of bringing up James flashed through his head, but Alex decided against it. “No, I was an only child. It was just me and my mother, and my teacher.”

“Ah, yes.” Dumbledore hummed. “What classes do you have next?”

“Uh, I have a defense against the dark arts,” John answered.

Alex pressed his lips together in a disappointed sort of way. “Ah, me too.”

“How wonderful for you both.” Dumbledore looked at the clock. “My, how time does truly fly. You two best be off to your next class.” Dumbledore smiled, dismissing them. “And both of you, please remember, help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.”


	3. The Nerve Of Some People

Alex walked into the class and sat down in the back. He stared down at the table, not wanting to remember anything he had just learned about John. It felt like he had intruded on something he shouldn’t have. Dumbledore didn’t even talk about John’s father, and neither did John, so Alex assumed there was a bit of a situation going on there.

“Rachel Hamilton’s son?”

Alex looked up to see a teacher standing at his desk. “Pardon?”

“Ah, yes, you are.” The teacher smiled. “Those eyes. You have her eyes, you know.”

“I’m sorry, may I ask who you are?” Alex started.

“Pardon, I am Remus Lupin. I knew your teacher, George.”

Alex’s brows creased, and then he whipped out the photo Dumbledore had given him, looking at the person under George’s arm, then back at Lupin. “Oh.”

Lupin smiled, looking at the photo. “Ah, yes, that does appear to be me.” Lupin smiled. “I met your mother when she was pregnant with you, you know?” Lupin smiled. “She was very happy, and she made me get her food. We knew each other through George.”

Alex cleared his throat. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did my mother and George know each other?”

Lupin paused. “I do believe that story might take a bit too long to tell before class begins. I’m sure I’ll find time to have tea with you, yes?”

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Alex mumbled. He looked forward and could see John and Laf sitting together near the middle, talking and laughing. Alex looked around and realized there was no one in this class he knew. He was already getting weird looks, and people were looking around for somewhere else to sit other than the seat next to him. Alex knew he was a freak to these people, knew he wasn’t trusted but his peers to not just snap and kill someone. He expected that.

What he didn’t expect was a pretty girl to sit down next to him. She had straight black hair and Asian features. She was gorgeous, actually, with plump pink lips and a round face. Alex instantly clammed up and tried to avoid looking at her.

Of course, though, she turned to him and gave him a wide smile. “Eliza Schuyler.”

“Huh?”

“That’s my name, Eliza Schuyler.”

Alex paused for a moment, then shook his head a bit. “Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton.”

Eliza gave another movie star smile. “It’s a true pleasure to meet you, Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton. Odd name though.”

Alex was almost confused.

“I’m making a joke,” Eliza clarified.

“Ah.”

“It wasn’t that funny, but I’m not that funny.” Eliza chuckled and looked ahead as Lupin began talking. Eliza had a red and yellow emblem on her grey sweater. Gryffindor. Maria said most Gryffindors were assholes, but Eliza seemed nice, or at least Alex thought she seemed nice. She was the only person who seemed to be nice to him in this class, so he was gonna stick with it, so at least he could have one friend.

“Caribbean, right?”

“So you’ve read all about me, huh?” Alex mumbled, unimpressed.

“You were a bit hard not to for a while, but I didn’t know you were from Puerto Rico until I saw that.” Eliza pointed at the small tattoo on the back of Alex’s wrist. “Taino?”

“Yeah. And I'm not from Puerto Rico. I'm from Nevis.” Alex shrugged. “I can’t get the full sleeve until I’m eighteen, but that’s what I plan to do. My mother, she let me get this one on my sixteenth. Do you know what it is?”

Eliza shook her head.

“It’s the Taino sun. There’s a couple of variations, but this one was my favorite.” Alex touched the ink. “Because my momma raised me with the tradition of the island, it was a batok tattoo, which is the traditional way to give tattoos, which uses a bamboo stick and a thorn. It hurts a lot more, but it was worth it.”

Eliza nodded. “So you’re Taino?”

“Well, it’s complicated. My mother was entirely Taino, but my father was not, but I was raised Taino. So, majority, yes.”

“That’s cool.” Eliza smiled. “How are you liking the UK?”

Alex gave a sarcastic smile. “I adore it.”

A chuckle came from the pretty girl. “It’s probably a huge step down from the Caribbean. I’ve never been there, but I’ve been to Florida, and-”

Alex gagged. “God, I hate Florida.”

“How do you hate Florida?”

“It if was a part of the confederacy, it’s not somewhere I wanna go.”

Eliza paused, then nodded. “Fair point.”

The class went by, and at the end, Eliza offered Alex a big smile and told him she’d see him tomorrow. It made Alex feel a bit warm inside. He didn’t want to dwell on the feelings though and instead made his way to his final class. He was honestly looking forward to just studying with Maria and eating dinner. He walked into the class and sat down in the middle. It was taught by McGonagle, the one who had been there to welcome him to the school. She gave him a wry smile, to which he didn’t return.

Alex jumped when someone sat down next to him. He looked over and was surprised to see the curly mop of hair that belonged to John. Alex swallowed hard. “Why are you sitting with me?”

“I don’t know anyone else,” John admitted, looking around.

Alex hummed. “Fair enough.”

John looked at Alex. “Why are you so sad?”

Alex rolled his eyes. “Why are you so fucking skinny?”

John’s brows shot up, but then he gave a curt nod. “Fair enough.”

Alex let Aedificio climb onto the table and then pulled some food from his pocket, letting the ferret eat it. “So what is this class?”

“Advanced transfiguration,” John answered.

“Oh, I finished that years ago.”

John raised an eyebrow. “Really?” He seemed unimpressed.

Alex looked at John’s stack of books and turned them quickly in a dog, which began barking and yelping and running around the class. It wasn’t a real dog, it looked made from paper, but it had a loud shrill bark that sounded like a little dog, and was very good at knocking desks and causing a ruckus.

“What on earth!” McGonagle shouted as the dog ran under her desk and spilled an inkwell onto the floor.

Alex blinked and the dog collapsed back into the pile of books, right next to John. He had toyed with the idea of changing the dog back to books somewhere farther and making John walk all the way over and face the shame, but decided against it since John seemed not too bad. The curly-haired boy shot Alex a look before collecting his books.

“Mr. Laurens, next time you disturb my class, I will send you out,” McGonnagel threatened.

“But I didn’t-”

She cut him off. “I don’t want to hear it.”

John dropped his books back on his desk and looked at Alex. “Thanks a lot, asshole.”

Alex was almost amused, looking down at his book.

“How did you do that without a wand?”

Alex looked back up, a singular eyebrow raised. “You all are so weak because you’re confined to your wands. My teacher taught me to do magic without a wand, I’ve been learning magic this way since the age of four, and I don’t think I will start with a wand now.”

John paused. “Oh, so that’s why you’re friends with Maria, your both assholes.”

Alex managed a snort. “I’m sorry I’m not exactly throwing a party. I don’t want to be here.”

“Well, you know what-”

John was cut off by class starting, and Alex looked down at his book. He kept one hand next to Aedificio, drumming his fingers and playing with them. Every now and then, the ferret would nip Alex, and Alex would pull his hand away, huffing and shooting it a look.

He couldn’t have been happier when class ended. He was quick to get up and make his way to the Slytherin dorm, not even bothering to say goodbye to John. Maria was already there at the dorm, sprawled out on the couch, listening to a scratchy record of Edith Piaf and staring into space.

“Hi,” Alex nodded.

Maria didn’t answer.

“Give her a bit,” Aaron started from an armchair, where he was reading a paper. “She always does this. Needs time to unwind after the day. She’s been doing this since I was here. She’ll answer you in a bit.”

“No one cares?” Alex mumbled aloud. “Like, that the music is playing?”

“It’s only ten minutes or so,” Aaron shrugged.

Alex nodded and sat down on another chair, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. He was emotionally exhausted from that. Honestly, he didn’t know how people did it. He missed waking up and going swimming right away, then reading, seeing his teacher, learning actual magic.

The record ended and Maria sat up, yawning a bit. “Alright, Alex, we got an hour until dinner, so let’s do this.”

“Do what?” Aaron asked.

“He knows jack shit about herbology, so I’m helping him with the basics.” Maria pulled out her textbook and the two began studying. Alex found the work tedious and at best boring, but Maria liked it, so Alex did his best to seem interested, though he knew she could tell he was faking it. Regardless, the two studied together until the dinner bell rang.

“So, what? Same thing every night?” Alex asked.

“Oh, no, but it’s probably not what you usually eat,” Maria pointed out.

“Probably not,” Alex agreed.

The three of them got to the dining hall, and just as they were about to head to the table, Eliza’s smiling face appeared.

“Hi, Alex!” She chimed sweetly. “Hi, Maria, hi Aaron!”

“Eliza, hi,” Alex smiled.

Maria simply stared, lips pressed together.

“I know it’s dinner and you guys are probably starving, but Alex, I just want to make sure the rest of your day was alright,” Eliza explained.

Alex paused for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, yeah, it was fine, thank you.”

“Alright, well, I’ll let you guys go, bye!” Eliza waved, then skipped over to the Gryffindor table, her skirt flowing as she did.

Maria let out a sigh. “Ain’t she the prettiest?”

“She is,” Alex agreed.

“Maria’s been in love with her since first year,” Aaron teased as they sat down. “She likes to seem tough, but the moment Eliza is around, she melts.”

“Shut up,” Maria groaned.

“Why don’t you make a move?” Alex asked.

“Because she’s… she’s all that, and I’m not.” Maria shrugged, getting some food. “She deserves someone better. But that doesn’t stop me from liking her.”

“Maybe you're exactly what she deserves.” Alex shrugged. “Does this thing have dances?”

“Uh, yeah, usually one or two,” Maria mumbled.

“Then you should ask her to the dance. There’s no harm, even if you just go as friends.”

“I wanna eat her pussy like a pie,” Maria groaned.

Aaron tilted his head back, laughing. “Christ!”

Alex served himself some food and took a bite, then groaned. “Why can’t the entire country of England cook?”

“Hey, we can cook!” Aaron gasped.

Alex turned the food on his plate into jerk chicken and rice, something his mom used to make, then began eating it. “That’s better. It has this thing called spices, maybe you guys started using some after you raped the land of countless countries.”

Maria snorted into her water. “I love American students because they have absolutely no respect for anything which means they’re painfully honest.”

Alex snickered. “I’m not from America, you know. I’m from an American territory, and if we don’t get a voice in the American congress, then we’re not part of it. Besides, I’m a Taino from the Caribbean, I don’t call myself American.”

“Taino?” Aaron asked curiously.

“It’s a tribe in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and most other islands around the area. My mother’s mother was full Taino, my father had none at all, but I was raised Taino.”

“Huh.” Maria nodded. “Thought colonization killed all the tribes in America.”

“No, we’re still alive.” Alex took a bite of his food. “I lived in a village with my mother and my teacher, which was different from here, really different. I miss it.”

Maria touched Alex’s shoulder. “It’s just a few months, then you can go back. At least this is your last year.”

“Thank God,” Alex mumbled.

Dinner ended, and Alex split off from them, wandering around the castle. It was a big place, and Alex hated to admit it, but it was a nice place to be. Alex probably could’ve spent all night, wandering around and staring at the paintings. One thing he did enjoy was that they moved. Pictures moved here. He liked that.

Alex walked up a stairwell, wondering where it was leading him. He came upon a large portrait of a fat woman in a pink dress with brown hair done up. He stopped, staring at her for a moment before her head whipped over to him.

“And just _who_ are _you_?” She asked.

Alex paused for a moment. “Uh, I’m Alex.”

She laughed. “You’re not a Gryffindor, are you?”

“No.”

“Then what are you doing _here_?”

Alex looked around for a moment, rocking back and forth on his heels. “Uh, I dunno. Just was looking around the castle. I’ve never been here before.”

She paused, then raised a drawn on eyebrow, a smile playing on her thin lips. “Oh, you are the Hamilton boy. Muggle-born, with the teacher who likes to kill.”

Alex’s brows creased. “That’s not, that’s not the story. You don’t… You can’t just-”

“Don’t.”

Alex turned to see John.

“Don’t argue with her. She may not even believe that, but she’s a bitch,” John told Alex. “She wants to get under your skin.”

“I don’t even have to say anything for you, John Laurens,” the woman in the painting. “I wouldn’t be able to pick, anyway.”

John rolled his eyes, then looked at Alex. “You wanna go for a walk?”

“With you?”

“No, with Dumbledore.” John rolled his eyes. “Yes, with me.”

Alex was wary. “What do you want from me?”

John pressed his tongue to his bottom lip. “Look, whatever. I’m not gonna try and make an effort to be your friend if you’re just gonna-”

“You wanna be my friend?” Alex was almost amused.

John looked Alex up and down, then nodded. “I guess.”

“Thought I was an asshole.”

“You are.” John shrugged. “But so are all my other friends, so what’s the difference?”

Alex took a breath, looking around, making sure Burr and Maria hadn’t followed him, since God, he knew he’d get teased for what he was about to do. “Where should we go?”

It was chilly out, but not too chilly. John was walking with Alex through the courtyard. They were both quiet, but the company was nice. John had a nice way about him. Alex couldn’t pinpoint it, but John was just naturally calm.

“So, is there anything really fun to do around this school?” Alex asked.

John shrugged. “Eh.”

“Awesome.”

“Where are you from?”

“Nevis, in the Caribbean.” Alex paused, looking at his hands. “You?”

“South Carolina, but we moved here when I was younger.” John began to pick at the skin around his nails.

Alex took a moment to notice that John’s nails were bitten and chewed. He began to rethink his idea that John was naturally calm because no one who was relaxed had nails like that. Alex sighed lightly. “Why do you wanna be my friend? You don’t even like me.”

John shrugged. “The idea that people can have baggage is extremely attractive to me.”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “Baggage?”

“Baggage.” John stopped, sitting down on a bench in the courtyard. “It’s not that cold.”

Alex sat next to him, looking at the grass. “Your friend, Lafayette, he doesn’t like me very much, I don’t think.”

“Yeah, ignore that. He’s nice, I promise, his issue is just that… he is pretty defensive.” John shrugged. “Maria doesn’t like me very much.”

“No, she thinks most Gryffindors are stuck up and mean.” Alex shrugged. “I don’t think she’s entirely wrong, to be honest. Most of you seem kind of mean.”

“Am I mean?”

“I dunno. You’re not nice.”

John smiled. “I’m not?”

“No. You called me an asshole.”

A nod came from the boy. “Alright, fair enough. You are an asshole though.”

“You didn’t have to ask me to walk with you.” Alex almost felt a smile on the corner of his lips, but pushed it down and let his face remain at best neutral.

“No, but I’m glad I did.”

“You are?”

“I am.” John stood up, stretching and exposing a few inches of his pale brown stomach. “It’s almost dark, we should be getting to our rooms.”

“Yeah.” Alex stood up. “Still don’t know why it’s such a big deal, what house you’re in.”

“You know American high schools, how like, they have cliques?” John started. “If you’ve ever seen Mean Girls, you know what I’m talking about.”

“I’ve never seen Mean Girls,” Alex admitted.

“What?” John shook his head. “Alright, bucket list then. Anyway, here at Hogwarts, houses are like… school encouraged cliques.”

“Oh, supported discrimination?”

“Yes.” John chuckled as they came to where they needed to split. “Alright, well, Hamilton, I’ll see you in transfigurations.”

“So you’re only my friend when your friends aren’t around?” Alex mused.

John shrugged, then shook his head. “No, I just figured you don’t really wanna sit with me and Lafayette.”

“Well, we sit together in potions, so…”

John smiled. “We do, don’t we?”

“Yes.”

“Wonderful. Then I’ll see you in potions.”

Alex nodded, looking at John. “Potions.”


	4. The Story Of George And Lupin

“Alexander, what class do you have after this?” Lupin asked.

Alex thought for a moment. “Uh, transfiguration.”

“Then you can be late, come, sit.” Lupin gestured to his desk.

Alex glanced at John, then sat down at the desk. Lupin poured Alex a cup of something, and Alex was pleasantly surprised to find it was coffee, and he had no need to change it to that. Alex took a sip, then looked to Lupin expectantly.

“Every time I see you, it amazes me how much like your mother you look, you know that?” Lupin took a sip of his coffee. “It’s amazing.”

Alex shifted uncomfortably.

“Perhaps I should get to the story. I know I said tea, some time when classes were not going on, but I feel as though I will not get an opportunity to do that for a while, so I would like to tell you the story of my friendship with your mother and your teacher.”

Alex looked up, interested.

“Yes, yes, I knew George throughout my school years, and George knew your mother. She was his neighbor, yes? So school years were spent with me, and summers were spent with her. Now, your mother, she was, technically, half-blood, you know that?”

Alex perked up. “She was?”

“Yes. She just didn’t get the right genes, but she could do a few things. She wasn’t magic, not by definition, but she was strange enough to not relate to muggles. I really quite adored her. She was very fun.” Lupin sipped his coffee. “She got pregnant with you, and oh, it was quite fun. She had no one with her, as you know, so she called George, who she had stayed in touch with. He and I came down, since I had nothing better to do, and were there for most of your mother’s pregnancy. I had to leave before you were born, but George stayed. He always wrote to me, telling me how all of you were doing.”

Alex chuckled. “I thought George was my father for the first couple of years of my life.”

“Yes, he mentioned that. Said he didn’t mind you thinking that, but Rachel, oh, she was always so honest with you.” Lupin smiled. “So, yes, I do know your mother, and George, he’s one of my closest friends. I do miss him terribly.”

“I do too,” Alex admitted.

Lupin looked at his door, then back to Alex. “Before my class fills up, I would like to tell you something in absolute secrecy, yes?”

Alex nodded.

“I don’t think Azkaban will be able to hold him long. He’s been writing to you, yes?”

Another nod.

“Ah, yes. He’ll be out soon. We’ll figure something out, and I’ll be there to help, I promise.”

Alex swallowed. “Alright."

“Tomorrow, we are talking of werewolves, but I’m sure George prepared you properly for such creatures, yes?”

“He did.”

“Wonderful, I look forward to it.”

Alex walked out of the classroom and to the next class. McGonagll was not pleased that Alex showed up late, but Alex just mumbled something about needing to talk to Lupin and sat down. He pulled the picture of George and Lupin out of his book, staring at it for a moment, before putting it back into the cover.

“Are you alright?” John asked.

“Yeah, yeah, Lupin and I just needed to talk about a few things,” Alex replied vaguely, looking up at McGonagall. Alex felt tired. Back home, when he was tired, George would just let him have an hour or so to sleep, and then their lessons would be a little shorter. Alex loved that. But at this school, they don’t even care. Alex couldn’t just get up and walk to the beach and nap. God, he missed the sun. It felt like Britain didn’t have a sun. He wanted to feel warm again. His hands were so fucking cold.

Alex fell asleep in class. He woke up to McGonagall slamming a textbook on his desk.

“Mr. Hamilton! If you do not feel the need to be respectful, you can leave!” She gasped.

Alex nodded, then stood up and collected his things. “Alright.”

“Where are you going?” She gasped.

“I’m leaving. I don’t feel the need to be respectful.” Alex didn’t wait for a response. He walked out of the classroom. The smell of stale water was somewhere, and Alex followed it until he found the lake. It was a lake. God, that’s what Alex needed. To swim.

He stripped to his boxers and undid the binding spell on his chest. The water was cold as shit, but he didn’t care. He wanted to swim. He wanted to swim to the other side of the lake. In Nevis, he swam all the time. He was a strong swimmer, capable of swimming in the ocean for a long time. His teacher once told him that one day they could do the Alcatraz triathlon together. Alex still wanted to do that.

He made it to the other side and let himself float for a bit, breathing in and out slowly. He shot up in the water when he heard voices. He recognized John and Lafayette, but not the other’s who were with them. Alex began to swim back a bit, wanting to just get his clothes and leave. But now he was in a bit of a predicament. He couldn’t just walk out of the water and get dressed. Not in front of other people. He stopped and stood in the gravel and mud where the water just about reached his chest.

“Hamilton, you look like the fucking grudge, creep,” Lafayette called out.

“Could you please leave for a moment so I could get dressed?” Alex requested.

“Don’t want us to see how small your dick is?” Lafayette taunted.

“Dude,” John muttered.

Alex groaned. “Please?”

“No.”

John rolled his eyes. “Come on.”

Lafayette crossed his arms. “No, I want to see what he-” Lafayette suddenly jumped, eyes widening as he looked at his hand. “Something just bit me!”

Something hadn’t just bit Lafayette. And Alex didn’t know why Lafayette thought it was a bite. He was doing his best to make it feel like a sting. He blinked and one of the other people gasped. “I think it’s a bee!”

Alex had one sting John, just to make sure John knew he wasn’t wanted here either.

“Shit!” John gasped.

It didn’t take many more stings for them to be leaving. Alex got out of the lake and got dressed. He didn’t want to go back just yet though, so he laid down on the gravel and closed his eyes. Aedificio, who he had told to stick around but let wander, came back to him and curled up on his chest. For almost a moment, Alex could’ve sworn he felt the sun on his face. But then the moment was gone.

Alex got up and left the lake. He felt sick. He missed home so much. He missed his mother, his teacher, the people on the island. He missed being normal. Everything was so different now. What was he to do with his life? Alex felt he had no time anymore. Back in Nevis, he was swimming in it. Sometimes his teacher would cancel lessons because he simply did not feel the need to teach that day. Instead, he’d tell Alex to surf, and the family would spend their day on the beach.

Alex got to the castle and made his way to the dining hall, which was just filling up. He was going to just go straight to the Slytherin table, sit next to Maria, and eat something with spices, but then, something stopped. Or, someone.

Lafayette shoved Alex’s shoulder hard. “What the fuck did you do?”

Alex gave him a bored look. “Gotta be more specific.”

“At the lake.”

Alex shrugged. “Didn’t do anything, man. You must’ve stepped on a hornet nest or something.”

Lafayette shoved Alex again. “Then why didn’t you get stung?”

“They don’t sting in water.” Alex pressed his lips together, looking around. “You done?”

“I don’t trust you, Hamilton.”

“How will I live?”

Lafayette glowered at Alex, knocking his shoulder again. “Watch your back.”

“Fuck off or I’ll fuck your mom,” Alex scoffed, walking away.

As Alex arrived at the table, Maria waggled her eyebrows at him. “You and Lafayette seem to be just best buds now. You gonna leave us for him?”

Alex scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Fuck to the no.”

“Good, because we got hella street cred now that we’re fucking with you,” Aaron chuckled, looking up from his book.

Alex gave Aaron an amused look. “Whatever.”

It was after dinner when Alex found himself wandering to the library. He wanted to read a book. He had made it through the book George had given him on astronomy, so he was looking for something more. He asked the librarian where the muggle lit section was, and then he got laughed at.

Alex wanted to tell her that he quite liked muggle lit, wanted to tell her that most of the time it was a lot better than wizarding lit. Alex missed his collection of Oscar Wilde and Immanuel Kant. They had been packed up and put into storage under his brother’s name. Alex wished his brother would write to him. He wished he could call his brother.

Alex heard rustling, moaning, and that’s what brought him out of his thoughts. So far, he assumed Hogwarts was a secret Christian organization where no one had sex, but he was quickly thrown out of that idea as he walked closer to the sound. Someone was gagging, someone was moaning, and the wet but undeniable sound of sucking dick filled the air. Alex almost laughed, walking quietly towards the shelf the pair was obviously hiding behind.

Alex turned his head around the shelf, then gasped and quickly looked away. The receiver of this act of sodomy was tall, pale, with a thick build and dark hair. But the one on his knees was none other than John Laurens. What an interesting turn of events. So maybe John had a few more secrets than he let on.

He waited for the undeniable sound of a boy finishing, and then for the pale guy to walk away before sneaking back to the shelf where John was. John had a compact mirror out, and he was fixing his hair, as well as wiping his mouth. A packet of gum was on the table.

“Hello, John Laurens,” Alex mused, raising an eyebrow.

John jumped, turning to see Alex. “Jesus fuck, you scared me.”

“Yeah?”

John paused. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I would think the way I’m looking at you would be the least of your worries.” Alex sat down. “Didn’t know you had hobbies.”

John stopped, then closed his compact mirror. “Don’t tell anyone.”

“Tell them what?”

“That I was just sucking dick, don’t tell anyone,” John gasped.

Alex shrugged, biting his lip. “Honestly John, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

John paused, then smiled, looking down. “Thank you. What are you doing here?”

“Looking for a bit of muggle lit, which this library severely lacks. I don’t know why I’m surprised.” Alex leaned back. “You read any muggle lit?”

“No, why would I?”

“Because it’s way better than wizarding writing.” Alex snorted. “I think I have a novel or two in my dorm. I’ll bring you one tomorrow to read. You ever seen the movie Fight Club?”

John shook his head.

“Well, it was a book first. And it was a really good book. I think I have it, so I’ll let you read it, maybe.”

John smiled. “I don’t think you’re as much of an asshole as you make people think, honestly. I think you’re actually really nice.”

“Oh, I am. But then my mom got murdered, and my teacher got falsely accused of killing her, and then the people who actually killed her got a slap on the wrists, so… I dunno, just got a little pissed off at the world.”

John nodded. “I get that.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Alex stood up, patting John’s shoulder. “I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

John nodded. “I like talking to you, Alex.”

Alex looked over his shoulder, thinking for a second, then he tilted his head. “I think I like talking to you too, John.”

Alex got back to his dorms and was greeted by Maria, who turned them right around. Alex figured it was best not to question it.

“Alex, we are going to get into some trouble, yes?” Maria smiled, linking her arm with his tightly. “Some real trouble, not your snakes on the dinner plate bullshit.”

“Oh?” Alex patted her hand. “How so?”

“You grew up with muggles, you know what unions are,” Maria started.

“I do.”

“Well, because you grew up with muggles, you do not know of the slavery going on in the wizarding community.” She hummed a bit, holding him tightly to her side. “House-elves. They’re just regular elves but enslaved. Sick, isn’t it?”

“Jesus Christ, does corruption just leak from this government?”

“It does.” Maria leaned her head against Alex’s shoulder, sighing to herself. “So, I am apart of the W-A-E-S, Wizards Against Elf Slavery. We’re a secret group of activists.”

“Why secret?”

“Because if the ministry knew we were trying this, they’d get their connections within their group of loyal death eaters to kill us.” Maria smiled cheekily. “So we operate in a secret manner. You didn’t hear about this, but over the summer, four hundred house-elves went missing from an elf auction over in Wales. Do you know where they are now?”

“Where?”

“I don’t know, but not enslaved under cruel pureblood wizards.”

“Do half-bloods not buy the elves?”

Maria shrugged. “Some may, but this is a pureblood practice. All the rich elitist wizarding families are pureblood. For a while, half-bloods were rare. We had Voldemort killing em off. My dad, he’s a half-blood, he almost got killed when he was sixteen. The double OP stepped in though, stopped the whole mess.”

“Double OP?”

“Order Of The Phoenix.” Maria looked up at Alex with her big brown eyes shining. “You’re a muggle-born though.”

“I am.”

“You’re the equivalent of dirt to most purebloods.” She smiled at Alex softly, then planted a kiss on his cheek. “But I like you quite a lot.”

“Well, thank God,” Alex snorted. “So, where are we going?”

“The second-floor girls' lavatory.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s where we go.” Maria led him a little farther down a hallway, then pulled him into a bathroom. If it was a girl's lavatory, you wouldn’t have known. There was a circle of chairs, some students, a few people Alex didn’t recognize who obviously weren’t students, and then Lupin.

“Ah, Alexander,” Lupin smiled. “Joining the WAES?”

“I guess,” Alex nodded.

“Well, both of you, have a seat.” Lupin looked sweetly at a pretty woman with colorful hair. “Tonks, dearest, would you do the honors?”

“Of course.” Tonks smiled, then pulled out a notebook. “Last week, we successfully broke out a group of elves from their training camps, but there’s still lots more there. Security is getting more intense, so I think we need to make a mole.”

“A mole?” A scruffy guy with long ragged hair and a greasy looking beard asked. “What kind of mole?”

“The kind that spies on the ministry and those guards, Serius,” Lupin gasped.

Serius smiled. “I could do it.”

“No, we need someone without a prison record. Also, you’re still a wanted man, technically.” Lupin shook his head. “I’ll get in touch with some people at the double OP.” He perked up a bit. “In other news, I would like to introduce you to Alexander Hamilton. Our newest member.”

“Hamilton.” Serius tapped his chin. “Where do I know that name?”

“George’s student, that’s where,” Lupin answered. “We went to school with George, remember?”

“Ah! Yes, how is George?” Serius asked.

“He’s in prison for something he didn’t do,” Alex muttered.

Serius only laughed at this. “Well, not for long I’m sure. He’s smarter than the whole ministry combined.”

“Most people are smarter than the whole ministry combined,” Maria scoffed.

“Right you are.”

“If I can ask,” Alex started. “Why is the second-floor girls lavatory the best place for a meeting like this?”

“Well, no one comes in here,” Tonks answered.

“Why?”

“Do not say her-”

Maria cut Lupin off. “Oh, Myrtle!”

The sound of bubbly giggling filled the bathroom. A ghost popped out of the sink, smiling. She had pigtails and big circle glasses. “I see you are having your little meeting again.” She smiled at Alex. “Fresh meat, fresh meat. Who is this little boy? He’s scrumptious!” She laughed loudly, quickly floating down to where Alex was. “Hello there.”

Alex nodded, pressing his lips together.

“Quiet one. He’s cute though.”

Maria nodded. “Alright, Myrtle, leave us be. We have real business to attend to.”

Myrtle hmphed, and then dove into the sink.

“She’s…” Alex trailed off.

“She’s a character,” Lupin chuckled, scratching his chin. Died from a basilisk.”

“What a way to go,” Alex muttered.

The meeting went on, and Alex was surprised at how professional it was. When Maria first told him about the WAES, he had instantly assumed it was some unorganized after school club, but it turns out, it wasn’t. Alex learned that this was only one chapter of the WAES, that there were many more chapters around Europe. Alex learned about the ‘double OP’, which were a bit of a martyred army. He learned about the hard work that the WAES did for the freedom of the house-elves. It was actually quite interesting.

Alex and Maria walked closely together back to the dorm, talking of little things. Maria was a very physical person. She kept her arm linked tightly with his, and she kept her head resting on his shoulder. She wasn’t afraid of expressing her love for people, and Alex really liked that. He did feel a bit touch starved, so Maria’s constant little touches, the way she would adjust his collar without even thinking about it, the way she would fiddle with his hair, it was nice. He loved her for it.

“Maria, I would like to thank you for your companionship,” Alex started softly as they entered the common room.

Maria smiled brightly, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I like hanging out with you, Alex. You’re an asshole. It’s fun. You’re fun.”

Alex rolled his eyes. “Don’t make it mushy.”

“Alright, cunt, as long as you don’t either.”

“Don’t count on it, bitch.”

Maria and Alex stared at each other for a moment, trying not to break into a fit of giggles.

“Come on, Alex. Girls aren’t allowed in the boy's dorm, but boys are allowed in the girl's dorm. Let’s go hang out.”

“Wait, why are boys allowed in the girl's room but girls aren’t allowed in the boy's room?” Alex asked as Maria pulled him to the girl's dorm.

“Because they think we’re gonna have a gang bang orgy.” Maria turned and smiled. “The British wizarding world is a mess of slavery and sexism, heritage puritanism and prejudice.” She shrugged. “We just gotta deal.”

“That’s stupid. You should take a page out of America's book and have a revolution.”

Maria burst out laughing. “You think your one puny revolution even holds a flame to the number of revolutions that Europe has had? Get your Yankee doodle ass outta here.”

Alex rolled his eyes, bumping her a bit before sitting on her bed. “Girls' dorm smells a lot nicer.”

“Hell yeah, it does.” Maria pulled out some chips and a few magazines. “Okay, who’s hotter? Chadwick Boseman? Or Michael B. Jordan?”

Alex let out a breath, thinking, then chuckled. “God, Maria. I have no idea. They’re both so… so gorgeous.”

“Why do movies about teenagers in America always have the actors look so put together?” Maria asked, leaning back on her bed and flipping through her magazine.

“It’s the sexualization of children,” Alex replied. “You can get married off at fourteen in America as long as your husband is your rapist and your parents are Christian.”

“Wow.” Maria set down her magazine. “I tried to count how much fucked up shit you just said, but honestly, I lost count.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty bad.” Alex laid back and stared at the canopy on Maria’s bed. He blinked, and there were stars. He smiled softly, staring up at them. They were the same stars he could see from his bedroom window back in Nevis, the same stars that his mother taught him the names of. He so vividly remembered lying on the beach between his mother and his teacher, listening to his mother’s voice. It was harder for him to make it out in his mind. He knew what she sounded like, sort of.

“Hey, are you okay?” Maria asked.

Alex blinked both tears and the stars away. “Yeah, yeah. Just thinking about my mom.”

Maria put her arm around Alex and pulled him next to her. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.” Alex closed his eyes and leaned into his chest, taking deep breaths. “I just miss her. I really wish she hadn’t died.”

“What was she like?” Maria asked.

“Absolutely badass. She was this half Puerto Rican, half Jamaican woman. She was way taller than me. She was a great cook, probably the meanest mother on the island.”

“To you?”

“No, no.” Alex laughed. “Kids used to bully me, and sometimes they’d follow me home, so my momma, she’d come out with a wooden spoon, grab whatever kid she could, and hit them until the spoon broke. No one messed with me after that.”

Maria chuckled, curling Alex’s hair in her fingers. “Were you a scrawny kid?”

“Yeah.” Alex closed his eyes. “I dunno. I’m more angry than sad.”

“That’s understandable.”

Alex thought for a while, letting Maria play with his hair. “I’ve been hanging out with John Laurens.”

“Ew, why?”

“He’s nervous, and he supposedly thinks I’m cool because I have baggage.”

Maria snorted.

Alex sighed, sitting up. “I should go to bed.”

“You should.” Maria smiled and planted a soft kiss on Alex’s cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow, yes?”

“You will,” Alex nodded, leaving the girl’s dorm and returning to the boy’s dorm. Aaron was up reading but smiled brightly at Alex when he walked in. Alex returned the smile with a nod and grabbed his pajamas, closing the canopy around his bed so he could get changed. He laid back, staring at the ceiling. Aedificio curled up on his chest and proceeded to breathe right in his face. Alex laughed at this and pushed the ferret off of his chest before rolling onto his stomach and going to sleep. 


	5. The Way John Laurens Laughs

Alex was feeling particularly homesick. It was September, and the cold was getting to Alex. Why would anywhere in the world ever decide to get this cold? It was, frankly, rude. Alex was sitting in the library, lighting bits of paper on fire, and then trying to restore them. It wasn’t working out. Alex was getting increasingly more frustrated with it, especially since his teacher wasn’t there to tell him what he was doing wrong. Alex was focusing so hard that blood was coming out of his nose. He didn’t know what he was doing wrong.

It was John, who had just gotten done with some… activities, that noticed Alex, in the back, lighting things on fire and then growing frustrated with them. He sauntered down the row of books and loudly sat down next to Alex, smiling and breaking Alex out of his focus.

“Shit!” Alex gasped.

“Whatcha doing?” John asked, pulling out a kerchief so he could wipe his chin.

“Trying to make things not on fire.”

“Well, judging by the amount of ash surrounding you, I think you’ve not done a very good job.”

Alex let out a bitter chuckle. “You just get done with something I don’t know?”

John pulled out a bit of gum and stuck it in his mouth. “Everyone needs to have hobbies, Alexander. Show me some magic.”

“Do your own magic,” Alex scoffed.

“Don’t wanna. Wanna see yours.”

Alex rolled his eyes, but found a piece of paper and placed it in front of him. He blinked, and in front of their eyes, the paper was folded into a crane. Alex blinked again, and they watched the crane take off, then land in the bun on John’s hair.

John smiled and took it down. “That was nice.”

Alex shrugged. “Just something.”

John looked around. “You wanna go do something fun?”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “Depends on what your definition of fun is.”

“It’s definitely better than your definition of fun.”

“And just what is my definition of fun?”

“From my impression of you?” John thought. “Being moody, brooding, lighting things on fire, being angry, drinking coffee.”

Alex pressed his lips together, then nodded. “Fair enough.”

John pulled Alex up and the two walked out of the library. John pulled out a map, mumbling something before tapping it. He followed it carefully, holding onto Alex’s arm. In a moment, they were both shoved into a broom closet. Alex was about to ask John why this was more fun than burning things, but then John pulled up a part of the floor and jumped down.

Alex jumped down after John, landing on a stone passageway. “What is this?”

“Secret passageway,” John stated, closing the door and beginning to walk. “School’s full of ‘em, you just gotta know where to look.”

“So, where are we going?”

“I dunno.” John looked at the map. “We could go to get a butterbeer, we could go to my hideout.”

“Oh, I’m gonna have to pick hideout,” Alex smiled. “I wanna know where John hides.”

“It’s not that cool,” John stated as they began walking. “Just some snacks, a few books, a blanket pile, and all that.”

“It sounds cool,” Alex pointed out, bumping John. “I think you underestimate yourself. I mean, you suck dick in your free time. You’re kind of cool.”

“That doesn’t make me cool,” John snorted. “It just makes me desperate and sad, and willing to suck dick in the back of the library.”

“I mean, I don’t suck dick in my free time, and I’m pretty lame, but you do, and you’re very cool. I’m finding a correlation.”

John threw his head back, laughing. “You’re dumb.”

“Perhaps.”

John stopped them and pulled a key out of his pocket, unlocking a door and stepping inside. It looked like it was once a bunker of some kind, with a bunk bed, some shelves, old maps, and whatnot on the wall. John had taken it over though. The top bunk had some shit on it, probably stuff John didn’t know what to do with, and the bottom bunk had a thick mattress and an excess amount of blankets on it. There were, as John said, snacks on some of the shelves. Alex helped himself to a handful of almonds before sitting down.

“It’s nice,” he commented, looking around.

“Been using it since first year.” John grabbed a bag of chips and sat down next to Alex, munching on them. “Came here when I didn’t wanna sleep in the dorms.”

“Why didn’t you want to sleep in the dorms?” Alex asked.

“Didn’t wanna get touched.” John snorted.

“That’s fair.”

John looked over at Alex, then back at the wall. “I don’t like the dorms.”

“Yeah, I don’t either, really.” Alex looked at John. “Wish I could just sleep alone or have my own room or something.”

John nodded. “You know, sometimes I wish we had a muggle lit class.”

“Yeah, you guys are really uncultured.” Alex shoved some almonds into his mouth. “I mean, come on. There’s nothing like the feeling of physical pain as you read Oscar Wilde spew out the most antisemitic bullshit you’ve ever read.” Alex laughed. “I mean, you’re really missing out.”

“Okay, what’s your favorite muggle book?”

“Unfair question. I like them all.” Alex smiled wistfully. “I suppose my favorite though, it would have to be The Scarlet Pimpernel. It’s about the French Revolution, from an English perspective. It’s pretty good, honestly.”

“Did you know any other wizards before you came here?”

“My teacher.”

“Was he your dad?”

Alex shook his head. “Nah. I got a few skeletons on that side of the family. You get it. Dads are shit.”

“God, they are.”

Alex let his head fall against John’s shoulder. “So, why do you hate the idea of being around people so much? I mean, you converted a bunker into your own private paradise. You have to be some type of introverted.”

John laughed. “Just, gives me anxiety sometimes.”

Alex grabbed John’s hand, looking at the bitten and torn nails. “It looks like you have anxiety all the time.”

John chuckled. “Maybe.”

“Maybe,” Alex repeated, thinking. “So, why do you suck dick in the back of the library?”

“Is that your business?”

“We’re in a converted bunker below the school eating chips. I feel like we should at least get to know each other a little bit. And what? The fucked up kid with the killer teacher and the dead mom is going to have any credibility? Yeah, right.”

“Okay, fair enough.” John took another bite of chips. “You know that feeling you get when you’ve said too much and you ruin relationships and you just make yourself look like a total idiot and then you spend the rest of the night biting your nails until they bleed?”

Alex shrugged, then nodded.

“I can’t do that if I have a dick in my mouth.”

Alex tilted his head back and laughed, definitely not expecting that answer. “Jesus Christ.”

“I think this is the first time I’ve seen you smile since you got here,” John pointed out.

“Yeah, well my mom’s dead. I’m allowed to not smile that often.” Alex took a bite of the chips and closed his eyes for a moment. “Why do you think you’re so anxious?”

“I dunno. Always been like that. Just, I don't like being the person I am sometimes.”

“No?” Alex shrugged. “I don’t think you’re that bad. You could be worse. You could be like, trying to kill me right now. That’s a plus.”

“No way I’m gonna try to kill you,” John scoffed. “You’re the angry kid who can do magic without a wand. I’m getting on your good side.”

Alex chuckled. “I am that kid, aren’t I?”

“Don’t listen to what anyone’s saying. You’re pretty cool, actually.”

“What are people saying?”

John bit his lip. “I dunno, just saying that you’re probably next on the murder list, and you’ll be in Azkaban by the time you’re twenty.”

“Whatever. Maybe I will. I don’t know. I haven’t really planned out my life.”

John laughed.

Alex smiled softly. “I like your laugh.”

“Do you?”

“I do.”

John smiled and shook his head. “If I didn’t know any better, I would think you’re flirting.”

“Good thing you do, because if you didn’t, you’d be wrong.” Alex took another handful of chips.

“Not into guys?”

“Just not into you.”

“Ow, my feelings.”

Alex laughed. “Oh, don’t take it personally. I’m not into anyone at this God-forsaken school. Besides, I’m more of a come and go kind of person. Ejaculate and evacuate. Jizz and jog. Get between the thighs, then leave in disguise. Thrust and-”

“Alright, I get it.” John snickered. “I am too, anyway.”

“Really? I thought you had a meaningful relationship with the guy whose dick you suck in the back of the library.”

John laughed and leaned back. “At least someone gets it.”

“What? You’re jock Gryfinfuck friends think monogamy is the way to go?”

John shrugged, not really answering. “You know, I’m Puerto Rican.”

“I could tell.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Alex looked at the ceiling. “You got the face.”

“The face,” John echoed. “But yeah, anyway, I’ve only been a couple of times, to see my grandma and all. I like that area of the world. It’s warm.”

“I miss being warm,” Alex mumbled.

John grabbed a blanket and pulled it over Alex and himself. “There we go.” He paused, letting out a sigh. “You’re a muggle-born, yeah?”

Alex nodded. “You?”

“Nah.” John chuckled. “I’m a pureblood, believe it or not.”

“Wow, if someone walked in on you and me, in bed together, we might make the front page of some tabloid.” Alex took another bite of his almonds. “Seriously, what is with all that? I mean, what’s the point?”

“You know those people with purebred dogs? And they put them in shows, and if you’re not a purebred, you’re disgusting?”

Alex nodded.

“Purebloods are both the dogs and the owners.” John shook his head. “Only way to be really pureblood nowadays though is if you’re fucking your cousin.”

“You fucking your cousin?”

John gagged. “No.”

“Yeah, me neither. I don’t think I actually have any cousins.”

“I have at least fifty, maybe more.” John chuckled.

Alex sighed and they both fell into a bit of silence, besides the sound of chewing. Alex didn’t even know he had fallen asleep until John woke up, telling him it was dinner soon. They both left the bunker and made their way to the main hall together, laughing and bumping into each other as they did. Alex expected John to completely dip before they got too close to where people were, but John linked arms with Alex and they walked all the way to the main hall together. John kept his arm tightly linked with Alex as they talked.

“Alright, I gotta go to my table.”

“Before you go, why can’t people just eat with who they want?” Alex asked. “The whole house table thing, it seems a bit ridiculous.”

John shrugged. “Alex, I honestly don’t know.” He placed his hand on Alex’s arm, smiling softly and looking down. “Anyway, uh, I’ll see you around or something. Yeah?”

Alex nodded, tilting his head to the side. “Yeah.”

They parted ways and Alex went and sat down with Maria and Aaron, and John sat down with Laf and some of his friends. Food was already on the table, and since it was curry, which was ironically the national dish of the UK, he piled his plate high with the foods of that night.

“So, where were you and Laurens off at?” Maria asked, wiggling her shoulders.

“Sucking your dad’s dick, why?” Alex muttered playfully, taking a bite of his food. “What’s it to you?”

Maria shrugged.

“What’s it to us? You’re fraternizing with the enemy!” Aaron gasped.

“Shut up,” Maria scoffed.

“Why am I the only one who’s not in love with a Gryffindor?”

“Hold up, I’m just friends with John, it’s not like he’s the Eliza to my Maria.”

“Fuck you-” Maria pointed at Alex. “And fuck you.” Maria looked at Burr. “Both of you, suck a bag of cocks.”

Alex laughed. “Anyway, really, we were doing nothing. I swear.”

“Just fantasizing about a world where you, a Slytherin muggle-born can be freely in love with him, a pureblood Gryffindor,” Maria teased.

“Fuck a duck.”

“I didn’t Eliza’s new name was a duck,” Aaron joked.

“Fuck lemme tell you.” Maria leaned back. “I wanna strap that girl into the mattress like there ain’t gonna be a tomorrow. Wanna eat that pussy like it’s a grapefruit, stick my face between those titties and just-” Maria shook her head, miming a motorboat. “Want her to sit on my face.”

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Aaron snorted.

Maria sighed dreamily.

It was later that night when Alex was spending his free time in the library, trying to make a fire that felt cool to the touch. So far, he had only managed to give himself first degree burns on his hand. When he heard footsteps come his way, he put the fire out and leaned back, reading his book.

He expected them to just walk on by, but they didn’t. They walked down his aisle, right towards him. Alex looked up and saw Lafayette, looking cool but not like someone Alex though he should mess with.

“Hamilton.”

Alex gave a sarcastic smile. “Ah, this could only mean you have an issue.” He sat up, taking a breath. “What is it, Lafayette?”

“Stay away from John, I don’t know what you’re planning with John, but just… leave him alone. I don’t need to clean up the mess you make.”

Alex had no idea what Lafayette was talking about, but he wasn’t about to back down. “You can’t tell me what to do. Maybe I like being around John. Maybe I’m gonna stay around him.” Alex leaned forward, giving Lafayette a challenging look. “What’re you gonna do about it, huh?”

Lafayette scowled at Alex. “I don’t like you.”

Alex stood up, grabbing his book. “Oh, Laf, you’re not special.”


	6. The nastiest boggart Alex ever knew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all should really read Long Exposure by marsoids (that's their twitter username). You can find the link to the comic on their pinned tweet on twitter. It's really good, gay, and super funny and also interesting. I would highly suggest it. Also, it has a little magic. So it's fun.

Alex was sure Lafayette was going to eventually try to kill him. Alex didn’t know how, but he decided it would be best that he prepare. So, he practiced a few defense spells and then called it good.

They were fighting boggarts in defense class. Alex knew the usual spell for boggarts was something like ridiculous, but George never taught him that. Alex learned how to completely block boggarts out from his mind. It took long long nights, nights that could often end in Alex breaking down.

See, before this all happened, Alex’s worst fear was rejection. Rejection from George, rejection from mother. George would stand behind Alex and watch the boggart take his form, then tell Alex things he would never say in a hundred years.

“Focus, Alex,” George would say. “Your fear is what it feeds off of. Make it starve.”

For the first month, lessons would end with George standing in front of the boggart and sending it back into the chest. It would end with Alex crying, sandwiched between his mother and George as they both whispered kind things to him, reassuring him that they loved him. Then, he got better. George never let Alex give up on anything, and because of that, Alex truly was a great wizard.

Alex didn’t hate Lupin as a teacher, which was a first. All of his other teachers he could care less about, but for some reason, Lupin was someone he respected. Maybe because he knew that his teacher respected Lupin as well. Alex was perhaps a bit prejudiced against Hogwarts, but how many times had he heard his teacher rant about its flawed system?

“Alright!” Lupin started. “Guess what we are doing today?”

“Boggarts,” Alex answered.

Lupin smiled. “You’re correct, Hamilton. Five points to Slytherin.”

Alex pressed his lips together and spelled the cup he had snatched from the dining hall to be full of coffee and took a sip. Eliza chuckled lightly at the small trick, offering Alex a bit of a smile and a thumbs up. Her face made the tip of Alex’s ears heat up. Since Maria was hopelessly head over heels for Eliza though, Alex wasn’t gonna do anything about it. Besides, Eliza’s personality was too cutesy for him, it was mostly her face that fueled the infatuation.

“Alright everyone, stand up!” Lupin spelled the desks to the side of the room. “In line now, we will do this one at a time!”

People were shoving their way to the front, and Alex just let himself be pushed with the flow. He ended up almost knocking John over as he was shoved right behind him. He had a soft ass, Alex realized, and he liked it.

“Careful there, murder kid,” John smiled playfully.

“You’ll be next,” Alex threatened, though it was obviously a joke.

John smiled a boyish smile and then turned back around.

Alex tugged at the hem of his sweater. He still had the little teacup filled with coffee in his hand, so he sipped it until it was empty, then spelled his pocket to be able to fit the teacup without looking like it. There were about ten people, including John, in front of him. He wondered what the reactions would be when Alex managed to completely avoid getting his worst fear shown to the class. He was almost curious though, what it was now. Was it still George and his mother, deciding that he wasn’t good enough? Or was it now the view of his mother’s cold, lifeless body laying on the floor of their house? Or, was it George, fists clenched, killing everyone on spot? Alex didn’t want to know.

Lafayette was in front of John, and his fear took the form of a man who was ill, sick, emaciated, and falling apart. Almost a zombie, but not quite. Lafayette’s hands and voice shook as he called out the spell, and it was turned into one of those car lot tube men things, the kind that waves around in the wind. He laughed, putting down his wand, and then stepped aside for John.

John was smiling still as the boggart began to change. Alex expected something like a clown, a bug, something normal. Alex was surprised when it turned into a man. The man was sort of tall, with broad shoulders. He had on dirty jeans and a stained white tee-shirt, with a belt in his hand. 

“Don’t know why you make me do this.” His voice was low and angry. Somewhere, a woman was crying.

John backed up into Alex, his wand at his side.

“Hey,” Alex whispered, grabbing John’s shoulder. “Hey.”

John shook his head, then closed his eyes, turning his head away from the man. Alex could hear John’s breathing speed up, feel him begin to shake.

Sighing, Alex pushed John back and stepped in front of him. Immediately, the boggart began to change, but it didn’t stop changing. It spun, and spun, and spun until a high pitched noise began to become emitted from it.

Alex blinked, and it was thrown back into the closet from which Lupin let it out of. He wiped a bit of blood from his nose, smearing it unknowingly onto his upper lip, and then turned to John. The boy had tears in his eyes, he was shaking his head.

“John, hey.”

John looked at Alex, then turned and left the room.

Alex let out a huff, then turned to Lupin. “Your boggart may not be awake for a few minutes.”

“How did you do that?” Lupin asked slowly.

Alex shrugged. “Just gotta block it.”

“Block it? What do you mean, block it?” Lafayette asked. “You can’t just block it.”

“It’s the only way I learned how.” Alex looked at the door. “I’m gonna go get John.”

Before anyone had the chance to object, Alex left. He didn’t actually know where John was, but he decided to check a few places, and then go to bed for the rest of the afternoon. The castle was big, and after Alex found the courtyard and the second-floor boy's bathroom empty, he tried the second-floor girl’s bathroom, since no one ever went in there. When he stepped inside, he found Myrtle, sitting on the sinks, reading a book.

“Oh, you.” Myrtle smiled. “Here for John?”

Alex nodded.

“He’s been crying for hours.” Myrtle pouted. “You best swoop in before he stops being vulnerable.”

Alex brushed her off and walked into the room with the stalls. Almost instantly, he was forced to dodge a spell. It hit the wall and busted some of the tiles.

“Fuck off,” came John’s voice. “I mean it.”

“Throw another spell at me and I’ll jinx you,” Alex threatened.

“Drop dead.”

Alex opened the door to the stall where John’s voice was coming from. John was sitting on the floor, head down, shoulders shaking. Alex sat down across from John and leaned his head back against the wall.

“What do you want?”

“I dunno.” Alex looked at John.

“Can you get outta here, then?”

Alex hummed, then took a deep breath and pressed his hand to John’s knee. This was a spell he so rarely used, but he knew a feeling of euphoria was now running through John’s body.

“What did you do to me?” John asked.

Alex shrugged. “Just a spell. S’pose to make you feel a bit better.”

John huffed and looked down again. “Didn’t ask you to help me.”

“I know.”

“Get outta here.”

“Don’t make me spell your mouth shut,” Alex threatened.

John flipped Alex the bird but didn’t say anything else.

“You wanna talk about it?”

“Why would I want to talk about it?”

“I dunno.” Alex shrugged a bit, looking around. “You know I have no credibility. And if you decided you didn’t want me walking around, knowing things about you, you could just kill me, claim it was self-defense. Everyone would believe you.”

“No way I’m gonna try and kill you.”

Alex shrugged. “Fair enough.” He held out his hand and spelled two packets of Angel Delight. He handed on to John and then opened one up for himself. “The sugar will help.”

John looked at Alex, then carefully opened the packet. He took a small bite, and then another. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Alex paused. “Don’t you have siblings that go here?”

“Yeah, Henry and Martha.” John took another bite of his food. “They’re alright.”

Alex nodded.

“My youngest sister, Mary, she comes here next year. I hope she gets into Gryffindor, just to have Martha near her, but at the same time…” John shook his head. “She’s too cunning. She’s probably gonna be in Ravenclaw or Slytherin.”

“Slytherin isn’t too bad, though the dorms are cold.”

“Yeah, you guys are in the dungeon.”

Alex smiled.

“Thank you.” John looked away. “For staying.”

“Yeah, whatever. You owe me one.” Alex smiled a bit and nudged John’s knee with his own.

John smiled. “What happened to your dad?”

Alex shrugged. “For all I know, he was a muggle, my mother got pregnant, and he left. I thought my teacher was my father for a while, but he wasn’t. He’s not.” Alex shook his head. “But he practically raised me. Came down when my mother was still pregnant, took care of me, and educated me. Kept me and my mom safe.”

“Do you miss him?”

Alex nodded. “What about your dad?”

“That was my dad.”

“What? The boggart?” Alex paused. “Your mom fucked a boggart?”

“What? No!” John punched Alex in the shoulder. “Fucking gross.”

“Then…” It hit Alex like a ton of bricks, and he noticed the way John picked at his nails when the mention of the man was brought up. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Is he still…?”

“No.” John shook his head. “Mom accidentally offed him. Hit him with a frying pan, fucked his head up to no return.”

“Why’d she do that?”

John rubbed a scar on his neck and didn’t answer.

“She alright?”

John looked up, then nodded. “Yeah, she uh, she hasn’t got a job yet, it’s hard for her to work, but the ministry… She gets unemployment. It’s barely enough, but we don’t complain. I try to get jobs in the summer. Then, when I graduate, I wanna be a dragonologist, bring in some money for my family.”

Alex nodded.

“What about you? What do you want to be?”

Alex shrugged. “Never really thought about it.”

“Really?”

Alex nodded. “Yeah, I was just gonna live on the island, teach surfing to the kids, marry someone, have a family, teach my own kids magic, and then they do what they will with their lives. I’ll be proud of ‘em either way.”

John nodded a bit. “Don’t sound too bad.”

There was a real quiet moment, and then the sound of the big church bell filled the bathroom. John stood up and then helped Alex up. Alex smiled a bit, and they walked to transfiguration. Since Alex could care less about the class, he spent most of it reading and annotating, occasionally making little origami animals and having them crawl onto John’s hand. John had his hair up in a bun today, and it made his face look slightly effeminate. John wasn’t a feminine person by any means, he was a classic dude-bro, but he had a twinkish way about him. His lips were round and soft, his eyes big and brown, and eyelashes that stretched out a bit. He was pretty, like the boys in Caravaggio’s early paintings.

Alex could almost see John, draped in a sheet, holding a basket of fruit uncomfortably, lulling his head back and forth. Alex had never seen John with his hair down, but he wondered what it looked like. He wondered if it made him look like a French boy, so sweet and alluring.

“Stop staring,” John muttered without breaking his focus on the notes he was taking.

Alex shook himself out of a trance, mumbling an apology before going back to his book.

When class was over, John and Alex walked out of it, talking about little things. Alex mentioned he hated all the art here, and John was listening to Alex talk of the muggle artists through the centuries who had managed to be twice as amazing with half the supplies.

“I’m gonna go swim,” Alex decided.

“It’s freezing,” John pointed out.

“I don’t care. I want to swim.” Alex shifted on his feet, humming a bit. “Anyway, just… I’ll see you around, yeah?”

John smiled, then lightly touched Alex’s arm. “Yeah.”

It was freezing, John was right, but Alex spelled himself warm and swam in the lake. He swam laps, floated there for a bit, and then decided to see what was under the water. He had always been good at aquatic spells, you had to be when you lived on an island, so breathing underwater wasn’t an issue. The lake was deeper than he thought, with all sorts of animals. He tried to reach the bottom, but the pressure on his ears was too much, and he settled for about fifteen feet under. He stayed there for a bit, looking upward. The sky was grey, so there wasn’t a lot of natural light, but he felt so relaxed, his hair out and around him. He would do this in the little coves his island had. It was sunnier there, so the water was naturally warm.

Alex remembered it. He remembered the way he’d float under the water, a few inches above the sand. He’d stare up at the sky, at the animals swimming over him. He remembered the way he’d get so tan that way, the water intensifying the sun against his skin. Alex always smelled like saltwater and sunscreen when he was on the island. Now it was just… old stone. His hair lost the waves and volume the ocean gave it. He missed the way he felt there.

When he finally broke the surface of the cold lake, he gasped and began swimming back to the shore. The spell was wearing off, and he was getting colder. He spelled himself dry and got dressed again, then made his way up to the castle. He tied his hair back up and went to the Slytherin dungeons, finding a couch to sit on. Maria was already there, and she gave Alex a sneaky smile.

“With John?”

Alex shook his head. “I went swimming.”

“You’re kidding.” Maria put down her book. “It’s freezing!”

“I just spelled myself warm.”

“How? I wanna know that spell,” Maria gasped.

“It’s not a spell. Not really. I just think warm.”

“Like, how?”

“Like… I think about what it is to be warm. I think about the warmest I’ve ever been, and then I warm up.”

Maria closed her eyes and stayed quiet for a moment, then shook her head. “It’s not working.”

Alex shrugged. “I don’t really know what you’ve been taught. It was kind of something I’ve been taught from birth.”

Maria huffed. “No fair, I wanna crazy murder teacher to make me a good magician.”

Alex smiled. He decided Maria was the only one who could make those jokes.

“Aaron!” She called out. “If you don’t come out soon, I’m gonna leave for dinner without you!”

Aaron stumbled out of the boy's dorm, straightening his tie. “I’m here, I’m here.” He smiled at Alex. “Where’ve you been?”

“Crazy bastard went swimming,” Maria scoffed, linking arms with Alex and putting her chin on his shoulder as they walked. “Even though it’s fucking freezing.”

“Your laws don’t apply to me,” Alex teased.

Maria kissed Alex’s cheek. “Alright, murder boy. Aaron, do you know what we’re having for dinner tonight?”

“My Hufflepuff wire mentioned something about shepherds pie.”

Maria nodded. “Good, I’m craving something like that.”

“What’s shepherd's pie?” Alex asked.

Maria gave Alex a weird look. “Are you fucking with me?”

“My mom was a Puerto Rican who thought Mexican food is exotic.”

She paused, then smiled. “Fair enough.”

They made it to the dining hall and Alex made brief eye contact with John, who was sitting with his friends already. John smiled softly at Alex, and though Alex didn’t return such a soft gesture, he tilted his head and nodded.

“Come on, just try it.”

“Why does it look like every other British food that’s been served since I got here?” Alex asked.

Maria groaned, letting her head fall onto her table. “Can you turn my cider into a Moscato?”

Alex blinked, and then picked up a spoonful of the shepherd's pie. “I mean, there’s just too much going on.”

“Take a bite,” Aaron groaned. “Come on, do it.”

Alex tentatively took a bite, hummed, and then took another. “Alright, it’s not terrible. It ain’t great either, but I’ll eat it.”

Maria took a sip from her glass, and then coughed. “Fuck, that’s really Moscato.”

“Yeah, it’s what you wanted,” Alex chuckled.

“I just forget you can do magic without anyone realizing, and I was waiting for you to whip out your wand.”

“Can you light something on fire?”

Alex blinked and a plate of chicken wings went up in flames, burning quickly to a blackened crisp. Alex tried to restore them to their proper form, but only managed to mummify them. He was still working on that side of the spell.

“Shit.” Aaron laughed. “Could you do that to a person?”

Alex nodded. “I could do anything to a person. I’m capable of murder.”

Maria paused, then hummed. “Not gonna lie, that makes me really horny.”

“Maria!” Alex laughed. “Question though, how do people get it on here? The lack of privacy is less than ideal.”

“Bathrooms, quiet corners in the library, and there’s a whole bunch of secret rooms around here if you know where to look.” Maria shrugged. “Are you a virgin?”

“Who the fuck asks that?” Alex laughed.

Aaron and Maria stared at him expectantly.

“Okay, but who is anymore?” Alex took another bite of his food. “The girls in the Caribbean are… God, they’re gorgeous. They got these long legs, but they’re thick, got some curvature, a little bit of ass, a little bit of belly, how I like my women, you know? Then the boys, fuck.” Alex sipped the cider he had turned into ice coffee. “Fuckin’ built, tall, tan. Again, a little bit of ass, a little bit of belly. Everyone on the island is just fuckin’... double cheeked up on a Thursday. They walk into a room, they ass walk in thirty minutes later.”

“Alright, Alex is an ass man,” Aaron laughed.

“John skinny as shit, I don’t know why you fuckin’ with him,” Maria pointed out.

“First of all, I ain’t fuckin’ with him. Second of all, I bet I could get him to gain a little weight.” Alex shrugged. “Get the boy some rice and beans, some jerk chicken, curry goat, flying fish, callaloo.”

“Alright, the witch from Hansel and Gretal is getting creative, I respect that.” Maria shoved some food in her mouth and took a sip of her wine.

Alex laughed. “I grew up in a household that appreciated a full-body, don’t hate.”

“Better than getting a hard-on over skeletons with tits.”

Alex laughed.

“Hey, there’s a WAES meeting tonight, you wanna come?”

Alex had decided he liked this, and since he no longer had his usual protest civil rights groups as he did back in Nevis, he decided to continue going to such meetings. “Yeah, sure.”

“Sweet. How’s herbology coming?”

Alex shrugged. “Shitty, I think. I don’t really care about my grades here.”

“Yeah, but if you do too shitty, they might move you to a different herbology class, and then we can’t hang out.”

He groaned, throwing his head back.

“Come on, let’s study. Unless you have other plans?”

Alex glanced at John, then back at Maria. “Nah, I didn’t.”

“Sweet, then it’ll work out just fine.”

Alex and Maria barely made it back to the dorms on time that night, and when they did arrive, they said goodnight, and Alex turned right back around. He wasn’t tired, and he didn’t want to be tired, so he started to explore the castle. Aedificio was running around somewhere. Alex had decided to just let the ferret roam since he would get annoying if he didn’t have enough exercise. He could always call the animal back.

Alex walked out of the castle and into the forest. He didn’t bother with invisibility in the forest, just walked around. He sat down on the forest floor and played with a spider. He let it crawl around his hand. He didn’t mean to fall asleep out there, but it was the crisp morning air that woke him up. He had a few hours until classes started, so he stayed out in the forest. It was the first time he had felt peaceful since he arrived there. The smile came to him naturally.


	7. The Ups and Downs of Having Friends

Alex was having a rough day. He didn’t sleep well the night before, and everything was bugging him. He wished he could surf. He missed surfing. He missed the way he felt after spending all day in the sun. He went from tan to as pale as he could get while still being Latino. Worse than that, it was nearing December, and he’d have to spend the whole holiday break in the castle, this time without any friends.

Friends.

Alex did partially wonder if these people were really his friends, or just trying to stay on the good side of the murder kid. He trusted Maria though. She was too honest to lie, and too mean to pretend to be nice. She wasn’t afraid to tell Alex that sweater vests made him look like a douchebag and that if he ever cut his hair, she would leave him forever. Alex really liked that about her.

The school celebrated Thanksgiving even though it was British. This was because of the increase in American students in the past ten years. Alex was currently picking at the turkey, trying to figure out what to do during break, which was fast approaching.

“I think I’m gonna ask Eliza to get a butterbeer this Valentine's day,” Maria decided.

“That’s about three months away, you know,” Aaron pointed out, his mouth full of stuffing and his chin dripping with gravy.

“Yeah, but I need time to prep so it’s good I’m figuring this out now.” She looked at Alex. “Your mom die again or something?”

Alex gave a sarcastic smile, then stabbed a bit of turkey. “Didn’t sleep well last night.”

“I’ll charm you tonight.”

“I don’t trust English magic.”

“Honestly? Fair enough.” Maria poked at a bowl of cranberry sauce. “Did you celebrate Thanksgiving?”

“No, but we’d have other holidays, get together as a tribe, and have big meals.” Alex stood up. “I’m gonna go to the library and read.”

Maria nodded, then patted Alex’s arm. “We’ll be in the dorm if you need company.”

“Thanks.” Alex left the dining hall, headed towards the library. When he got there, he found a place in the back and sat down, sighing. He didn’t want to read, he didn’t want to do anything, so he put his head down on the desk and closed his eyes. He wouldn’t fall asleep, he wasn’t comfortable enough, but it was nice to just be alone. He felt like he was never alone in this school. He missed the few hours he’d have in a day, purely dedicated to being alone, doing what he wanted. He spent that time, usually, surfing. It would just be him and the waves around him. His surfboard was in storage somewhere in Florida at the moment.

George had gotten him that board when he outgrew his first one. It was bamboo, with an accent of cherrywood. Etched into it was the Latin phrase ‘undas rego’ which translated into ‘I rule the waves.’ Despite the fact that George did not teach Alex verbal magic, he did teach him Latin, since it was apparently important he knew it. Alex missed the way that surfboard felt, the way it flowed over the water. He wanted to go to a beach so bad.

It was late when the librarian came back to where Alex was and told him to get to the dorms. Alex nodded and walked to the third-floor girls’ lavatory. It was empty, except for Myrtle, who was sitting in the window, so Alex filled up the bath and got undressed before getting in. It was warm water, and the stone floor and bench were heated.

Alex didn’t see Myrtle come and sit next to him but jumped when he heard her high pitched giggle. “What are you doing?” He gasped.

“Just sitting with you,” she giggled.

Alex shook his head. “I’m really not in the mood, Myrtle.”

“Is murder boy sad?”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Why? It’s what everyone else calls you.” She laughed. “Same with that sweet Laurens boy, you know that?”

Alex frowned.

“Talks about you with his friends, he does. Not nice things, no. Not at all.” Myrtle laughed.

“Why are you telling me?”

“Because it’s sad to see you smile around him.” She laughed, floating around the room. “I know about your little secret walks with him. You might as well know he has other intentions.”

Alex got out of the bath, spelled himself dry, and got dressed. He felt sick. He went back to his dorm and spent the rest of the night staring at the ceiling.

The next morning he found Eliza and pulled her aside before they entered the breakfast hall. She had lip gloss on, and it was shiny, with little sparkles. Alex wanted to cry, and he hated that the look on her face told him that she knew.

“Hey, can I talk to you about something?”

She nodded, taking both of Alex’s hands. “Of course, you can.” She sat them down on a bench and smiled softly at him. “What is it?”

“John, Laf, their group, would you say you’re close-ish to them?”

She shrugged. “Not really, but they hang out in the common area, so we talk sometimes.”

Alex swallowed. “I-” His voice cracked and his face grew hard.

“Are you alright?” She asked.

Alex took a breath, closing his eyes.

“Don’t cry, it’s alright.” She rubbed her thumb over the skin on Alex’s hand, and then pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. “It’s alright. Take your time.”

Alex took another deep breath and sighed. “Do they talk about me?”

Eliza pressed her lips together.

“Because John is supposed to be my friend.”

Eliza let out a gentle sigh and then placed her hand on Alex’s cheek. “They do.”

“John too?”

She nodded.

“What do they say?”

She looked like she didn’t want to answer.

“It’s okay, just tell me.”

“Nothing good,” she mumbled, frowning a bit.

“John too?”

She nodded.

Alex let go of her hands and let out an angry sigh. He then stood up, tying his hair back into a bun. “Alright. Thank you for telling me.”

“Alex, do you want to talk about it? Or not talk about it?” She stood up and took his hand again. “We can sit together, or go for a walk, whatever would help.”

“I’d rather be alone right now. Thanks though.” He walked away, out of the castle and into the courtyard, then down and to the lake. He got undressed, spelled himself warm, and began to swim. He swam and swam, missed his first two classes, and then showed up to muggle studies late with damp hair.

Maria tried to talk to him, but he decidedly gave one-word answers. When it was lunch, he made another decision. The decision to walk up to John and punch him square in the jaw.

“What the fuck!” John yelled.

Lafayette immediately stood up and boxed Alex in the ear. Alex hit him back in the stomach before being grabbed by Maria and pulled back. That didn’t stop Lafayette from running and knocking them both down. He hit Alex in the nose and was greeted with a knee in the crotch. Maria didn’t really know what was going on, but she kicked Lafayette off of Alex.

“What is the _meaning_ of this!” Professor McGonagle threw a spell at the group, paralyzing them all. Lafayette’s fist was about two inches away from Alex’s face. She undid the spell and Lafayette punched Alex in the nose again.

It was only in Dumbledore’s office that Alex began to wonder if his reaction was proportionate. He decided it was, but maybe punching John without him knowing the reason why was a little extra. Alex’s nose was itching from the blood, and his hands hurt. He didn’t let anyone spell him better, so he was just sitting there in misery.

“Now,” Dumbledore began, sitting down. “Would anyone like to tell me what happened?”

The group was quiet.

“Maria.” He smiled softly. “May you do the honor?”

She looked at Alex, a quiet apology, before speaking. “Alex went up and hit John, and then Lafayette hit Alex, and I went over to try and stop the fight, but then Lafayette knocked me and Alex over, so I kicked Laf off of Alex, and then McGonagle showed up.”

“Ah.” Dumbledore took a long sip of his tea. “Alex, would you like to say what sparked this fight?”

“No.” Alex wiped some blood from his upper lip.

John looked at Alex, brows pushed together. “Seriously, I thought we were friends.”

“That’s rich. So did I.” Alex looked down at his bruised knuckles.

“Perhaps I shall excuse Mr. Lafayette and Ms. Lewis. This seems like an issue between these two.”

Maria and Lafayette left. It was just Alex, John, and Dumbledore. The headmaster stood up and began walking around the room. “Alex, may I tell you a story about your teacher?”

Alex hummed but didn’t say anything.

“Well, he was a very strong muggle activist, most likely because of his closeness to your mother, I assume. Do you want to guess how many fights he got into because of his activism?”

Alex shrugged.

“That will be my answer as well since it is almost impossible to keep track of such a high number.” Dumbledore laughed. “I see him in you every day. He was uninterested in his studies, he had very progressive ideas about this school, the wizarding world. He’s the reason our female students are no longer referred to as witches. He made a campaign, stating how witchcraft and wizardry are two very different things, and he was right. He got signatures from every female student, and most of the male students as well. He never settled for any less than perfect. I can see that with you. You’re a great wizard, Alex.”

Alex didn’t like what Dumbledore was doing.

“John is a great wizard too, even when he does not give himself that kind of credit. He advanced in his classes so quickly. He’s always been a teacher favorite, just by being himself. You both are incredible, unique, and intelligent.”

Alex stared down at his hands.

“So, pardon me for saying, but I find it hard to believe that you two were fighting.”

“Maybe it’s because this school pits people against each other by sorting us into unnecessary houses, forcing us to sit with said houses, and inciting competition between the houses,” Alex snapped.

Dumbledore nodded.

“I don’t think that was our problem,” John pointed out.

“Oh, shut up.” Alex shook his head.

Dumbledore popped a lemon drop in his mouth, then walked to his office door. “I think I will leave you two to figure things out. Please, refrain from physical violence, the room will know.”

He left, and there was a quiet moment shared between the two boys before John looked at Alex. “What was that even about?”

“Don’t play stupid.”

“I don’t have to play stupid, Alex.”

Alex glared at John. “You know, I’m okay when my friends make jokes about the shit that’s going on with me, while I’m there. I’m not okay with lying assholes pretending to be my friend so they can talk shit about me in one giant circle jerk.”

John was quiet.

“Yeah, funny, huh?”

“It’s not like I meant what I said.”

“That doesn’t matter!” Alex stood up, looking at John. “You would really be okay with me talking mad shit about you if I didn’t mean it?” Alex laughed. “Hey, world!” He called out sarcastically. “John doesn’t eat because he’s scared! He had a shit father and can’t go a day without sucking dick in the library!”

“Hey!” John stood up. “That’s too far!”

“No! I didn’t mean it, so it’s okay!” Alex laughed. “Don’t you see the irony here? Me yelling to a room with no one in it about your shit is too far, but you talking about my shit with people who actively don’t like me, that’s okay because you didn’t mean it? Come on!”

John glared at Alex. “You don’t get it.”

“What? You had to? To remain accepted in your little group of shit heads?” Alex shook his head. “This school is a joke.”

“You don’t get it! Those are the only friends I’ve had my whole life, I’m not-” John shook his head. “I can’t just drop them!”

“Well they’re shit people, and so are you!”

“That’s not fair!”

“You don’t get to talk about what’s not fair!”

John groaned. “God, you are so angsty! You aren’t the only one with issues, Alex!”

“At least I don’t suck dick like some ten-cent whore in the back of the library to cope!”

“Eat shit!”

“God, I fucking hate it here.” Alex kicked a chair. “I don’t know why I ever trusted you, I don’t know why I ever fucking decided to talk to you. Should’ve trusted Maria, all Gryffindors are shit.”

“That’s real rich coming from a Slytherin.”

“You wouldn’t even have to talk shit about me if I was Gryffindor! That’s the funniest part!” Alex shook his head. “I’m so fucking sick of this! Fuck you!”

John crossed his arms, staring Alex down.

Alex sat down and put his face in his hands. “I don’t want to be here. I want to go home.”

John sat back down as well.

“You said we were friends.”

John was still quiet.

“God.” Alex shook his head. “All Gryffindors _are_ self-absorbed assholes. Forget it. _Forget it_. I don’t know why I even-”

“I’m sorry,” John said it quickly, like he hated apologizing.

“Thanks,” Alex muttered sarcastically. He shook his head. “I just don’t get it. It’s not like… I mean I wasn’t badmouthing you to Maria, sharing all your secrets. I could’ve too, and she would’ve believed me and probably blackmailed you into defecting from Gryffindor.”

“Actually, you can’t defect from-”

“I don’t know how this shit works John.”

John sighed. “I’m really sorry.”

“Alright.” Alex tugged at his hair a bit. “I mean, why? Am I really that bad?”

“No, you’re not.”

“Then why is everyone either trying to take me down or just afraid of me?”

“No one really understands you.” John looked at Alex. “I mean this in the best way, but you are kind of a freak.”

“Wow, you’re really good at apologizing, you know that?”

John held up his hands. “Look, there’s no other way to put it. You were homeschooled on an island on the other side of the world, you can do magic without lifting a finger. Your teacher is in the highest security wizard prison there is, and the LeStrange’s want your head.”

Alex frowned.

“I’m really sorry.” John began picking at his nails. “I just… I have a really hard time making friends. It’s really difficult for me to talk to people, it’s really difficult for me too… yeah, you get it. I just, I’ve spent seven years proving myself to those people, proving that yes, I am a normal person, I can fit in. I wasn’t ready to throw that all away.”

Alex stood up. “Alright.” He looked at John. “I can respect that.”

“So we’re cool?”

“No, we’re not.” Alex spelled his hair up and out of his face and then buttoned up his cardigan. “You lied to me, and frankly, I don’t want to be friends with someone who’s only friends with me when people aren’t looking. You can talk all the shit you want about me, you can say whatever, I don’t care, but I’m not… I won’t put myself in a position to get hurt.” Alex looked at John. “I’m sorry, but that’s just not fair. It’s not fair of me to do that, and it’s not fair of you to ask that of me.”

“Alex, I-”

“No. If your friends decide they aren’t dicks, and you decide to be my friend, really my friend, with no shame around it, then let’s talk about it. But, I just…” Alex shook his head. “I don’t want to be around you anymore.” He turned and left the room, walking past Dumbledore, who was standing outside. He found Maria sitting on a bench, kicking her feet. “Hey, you wanna go do something stupid?”

She looked up at him. “Like what?”

“I dunno, anything, I don’t care.”

She paused. “We could… go up to the mail tower and dick around with the owls.”

“Sounds great.”

They walked up to the tower and inside the owl room. There were a few just resting, and Maria startled them awake. Alex didn’t actually wanna bother the owls, so he just pet a few before sitting on the steps outside.

“Is everything with you and John alright?” Maria asked, sitting down next to Alex.

He shrugged. “Not really. You were right, all Gryffindors are assholes, ‘cept for Eliza.”

Maria leaned against Alex and put her chin on his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

“You wanna talk about it?”

“Not really.”

“Alright.”

Alex leaned his head against Maria’s, and they sat there for a long time, watching the mountains. It was cloudy and chilly, and Alex wished he had a thicker coat. But he spelled himself warm and spelled Maria warm too.

Alex didn’t want to sit in the dining hall, so Maria and Aaron stole some food and they ate in the Slytherin common room. Alex knew he was being a downer, but he felt sad. Aaron and Maria didn’t really bring it up though, they talked, Maria played music, and when they started to run out of food, Maria spelled whatever they had left to double.

“I wish this school was by the coast,” Alex finally stated.

“We’re sort of by a coast,” Aaron pointed out.

“Not really though. I just miss the beach.”

“Tell us about it.” Maria gave Alex a small smile. “The only coast I’ve ever been to is the English Channel, I’ve never been to a real beach. What’s it like?”

Alex thought for a moment. “The sand is like… like walking through warm melted butter, and the water is cool, but not too cool. It’s perfect when the day is hot. There’s great surfing, and there’s usually a boardwalk, or just some little stands or something, you can buy cold drinks, fruit, ice cream, piragua.”

“Is it warm?”

“So warm.” Alex sighed. “In the summer, it’s so hot, but not like, where you can’t do anything. It’s more of a type of hot where you open up the fire hydrants and play in the water and go to the beach and drink so many different drinks. My mom had six lemon trees in her backyard for hot days like that. Me, her, and George, we’d get up early, before it got too hot, and we’d make as much lemonade as we could, and we’d drink it all day. We’d all go through a gallon each, and then still buy cold drinks from the corner store because you just instantly sweat it out. And then the beach, oh God, it’s amazing. You surf all day, and you come back very very tan. I don’t usually get sunburnt, but when I do, it’s on my nose, and my Momma, she’d cut a piece of aloe off of her big aloe plant, and I would just rub my nose with aloe the rest of the night.”

“You’re making me want to go to Nevis.”

“You should. It’s gorgeous.”

Aaron leaned back. “I’m sick of cold England. I’m also sick of living on the same island that Margaret Thatcher lived on.”

Maria laughed, sipping her cup of tea. “We love crimes against humanity, homophobia, and a housing and unemployment crisis still being felt today.”

“Oh, so she’s Britain’s Bush?”

“What did Bush do?”

“Bush bombed a bunch of poor brown people in Iraq because Saudi Arabian terrorists bombed some towers. Also, his father played a big part in the racist war on drugs.”

“Oh, so we’re all corrupt?” Aaron chuckled.

“Yes, all of us.”

Alex held up his teacup, which he had filled with coffee. “To corrupt political systems, both magical and muggle!”

“Here here!” Maria and Aaron laughed.

That night, Alex closed the curtains around his bed and put up just enough light in the area to read. Aedifico had crawled back into Alex’s bed, curling up under the blankets and nipping at Alex’s feet every now and then. Alex didn’t want to sleep, so he didn’t take his meds. He read all night, and then, in the morning, when it was time to go to class, he stole a few breakfast rolls and went for a walk. He wondered how little effort he could put into school. It wasn’t like he wanted to be there, he really didn’t.

Alex found himself back in the forbidden forest. It was a big forest, with big trees, cool air with fog always rolling across the ground. Alex blinked, holding out his hand, and a small ball of light appeared on it. It was blue but would turn red when trouble was near.

He didn’t walk too deep into the woods, stayed close enough so he was able to see the castle through the trees.

“Who’s there?”

Alex whipped around, glancing at the ball of light in his hand. It was still blue.

A large man, larger than any man Alex had ever seen, became visible. He had a bloodhound, kind of dog, but bigger, grey. He was holding up a lantern, with a big beard, and old leather and linen clothes.

“State your name, go on.” His accent sounded more Irish.

“You first,” Alex responded.

“You’re a student, you identify yourself first.”

“I’m Alex.”

“Why aren’t you in class?”

“Didn’t want to go.”

“Well, that’s not how school works.”

“Maybe not.” Alex paused. “Who’re you?”

“Well, I’m the groundskeeper. Hagrid.”

Alex nodded.

“You’re really not going’ to class?”

Alex shook his head.

“Well, I can’t just let you wander around the forbidden forest, it’s forbidden!”

“Why?”

Hagrid paused, rather uncomfortably. “Well, why don’t we go have a cuppa, and I’ll tell you why. I’m the groundskeeper after all.”

Alex followed Hagrid to his little hut. It was quaint, dusty, with jaws and critters on every shelf. Hagrid put a pot over the fire and then sat down, looking at Alex expectantly. Alex paused, then realized he was supposed to sit down too. He took a seat in the chairs that were much too big for his small frame.

“So, are you a transfer?” Hagrid asked.

Alex shook his head. “No, I was forced to go here after the ministry arrested my teacher for something he didn’t do after my mother was murdered.”

Hagrid paused, then nodded. “Would you like a bit of brandy?”

“Yes, actually.”

Hagrid poured an inhuman amount into a mug and handed it to Alex. “Only a little because you’re a student.”

Alex decided he liked Hagrid, even if his brandy tasted like gasoline.

“Why don’t you like your classes, boy? No friends?”

Alex shook his head, then shrugged. “Just miss my old classes.”

“Oh yeah? What school did you go to before this?”

“I was homeschooled. My teacher, he uh, he taught me everything I know. Also, I hate herbology here. The magical plants on my island, and the plants here, they’re really different. I just, I hate English herbology.”

“What about defense? Transfiguration?” Hagrid asked.

“I don’t want to go to those classes anymore. I had a friend in there, but he… he wasn’t my friend.”

Hagrid offered an apologetic smile and then poured them both tea. “Kids this age, they’re mean.”

Alex nodded.

“What were you learning before you left for Hogwarts?”

“Fire.” Alex shrugged. “Just general things with fire. I can make anything look like it’s on fire. I can burn things. I’m trying to figure out on my own how to unburn them, but it’s difficult.”

Hagrid nodded. “You should talk to Dumbledore, ask him if you can have your own independent study period instead of whatever class you feel you don’t need. What do you think you excel at?”

“Transfiguration, definitely.”

“Then you really oughta talk to the headmaster. I’m sure something could be arranged.”

Alex shrugged. “I could just keep skipping.”

“You’ll get detention then.”

Alex was quiet. “I just don’t want to be here.”

“You know, I’m part giant on my mother’s side, hm?”

Alex looked up at Hagrid.

“Father was a wee fella, could pick him up and place him on the top shelf by the time I was six.” The man let out a booming laugh, spilling tea in his beard. “Well, I came to Hogwarts, got the magic from me da, though we weren’t sure I would, giant genes and all. No, I uh, I came to Hogwarts taller than most of the professors, with hands the size of a seventh year’s head. No one liked me here at first.” Hagrid seemed to get a bit down. “The short time I was here, my only friends were… well, the spiders in the forest, the creatures in the forest.”

“Is there a point to this?” Alex asked.

Hagrid jumped, then nodded. “Yes, yes.” He took another sip of his tea. “Hogwarts isn’t always where you find your family.”

“Well, why are you still here?”

Hagrid smiled a big smile. “Because my family lives right outside of Hogwarts, and Dumbledore offered me a job.”

Alex nodded.

“I think you’ll find, out of all the teachers in this school, he’ll understand the most. Help is always offered at Hogwarts to those who ask.”

Alex rolled his eyes and then chugged his Brandy. “I’m gonna go back up to the school, sleep for a few hours, and then figure out what to do.”

“Well, you come down when you need a bit of brandy or a cuppa.” Hagrid stood up and let Alex out.

He walked back up to the castle, feeling the brandy begin to kick in. He was dizzy but somehow made it back to the dorms, where he laid down on his bed and started a film. He could do this sometimes if he had seen a movie enough. He had decided on The Big Lebowski. He didn’t particularly like that movie, but he would watch it, simply because.

He didn’t expect Hagrid’s gasoline tasting brandy to knock him out for the rest of the day, quite stupidly on his part, but he missed lunch and dinner, and couldn’t even stomach the bit of food Maria brought him. Around eleven, he started vomiting. Around twelve, he stopped. He climbed back in bed and slept a little longer.

He woke up in time, not for breakfast, but for his first class. He stumbled up to the astronomy tower and slept through the entire class, and then spent the next two complaining about his hangover to Maria and drawing crude pictures of Gryffindor kids and mandrakes.

Alex had really thought John was his friend, and he had really enjoyed having John as a friend. But as he listened to Maria laugh, the way she snorted, suggested things, and would rest her head against his shoulder and watch him draw, he decided he didn’t need John. He decided that he had not lost John, John had lost him. John had lost a friend, Alex had simply let go of someone who didn’t value him for the person he was.

“Hey, Mars?” Alex muttered, looking at her.

“Yeah, bitch tits?” She smiled her gap-toothed smile.

“You’re the closest friend I got.”

She smiled, then pressed a soft to Alex’s cheek. “I love you too, Alex.”


	8. The Mixing of Houses and Homes

Alex, Maria, and Aaron were laying on the frosted grass together, holding hands and talking. Maria was leading the conversation, Alex had his head on her stomach, Aaron had his head on Alex’s stomach. Maria kept curling Alex’s hair in her fingers.

“I mean, I just don’t see the actual need for the plastic bag if they’re already in the box.”

“The bag is for freshness!” Aaron argued.

“Then why have the box?”

“For easy transport! And so they don’t get crushed!”

“Why can’t they make some type of hybrid then! The two fucking things are unnecessary!”

“It’s not that important! Why does it matter?”

“Because I am _sick_ of opening up a box of crisps only to have to open up a bag too!”

Alex laughed. “You should just make your own crisps.”

Maria tugged Alex’s hair. “That’s not the point of eating crisps!”

“Don’t tug my hair unless you mean it,” Alex threatened playfully.

Maria smiled and tugged it again. “Anyway, Alex, Aaron, I need your help tonight with something.”

“Oh yeah?” Aaron looked over at her.

“Yeah.” She smiled. “I need you to help me get out of the castle at eleven tonight, and then back into the castle at six tomorrow, and I need you to not ask any questions.”

Alex hummed. “Can we ask questions now?”

“Sure, as long as they aren’t about what I’m doing.”

“Alright, will we ever know what you did?”

Maria nodded. “Probably.”

Alex smiled. “I can spell you invisible, how long will you need to be invisible?”

“I’m gonna say ten minutes.”

“Alright, I can do that, you’ll have to give me your hair though.”

“All of it?”

“Just a lock.”

Maria nodded. “I can do that.” She paused. “So, you and John are like, done done?”

“I guess. I told him if he wants to actually be my friend and not some two-faced pussy, then we can try again, but until then…” Alex shrugged. “He’s a two-faced pussy.”

“Like all Gryffindor,” Aaron muttered.

“‘Cept for Eliza,” Maria started.

“Yeah, Eliza is like the only one who’s not choking on her own ego.”

“‘ _Not all Gryffindors’_ you’re right,” Aaron began. “There is one, one who would never treat us so poorly.”

Maria laughed.

“Alright,” Aaron muttered, sitting up. “Come on, lunch is soon. I’m hungry.”

“You’re always hungry,” Maria accused.

“I’m a growing boy.”

The group got up and began walking to the castle. They walked into the dining hall and were instantly greeted by Eliza. She looked a little different, and Alex realized her hair was curly. Not curly curly, but curly. Maria malfunctioned for a moment.

“Hey!”

“Your hair,” Alex managed to get out.

Eliza got embarrassed. “Yeah, I forgot to straighten this morning, and-”

“No, it’s gorgeous,” Maria cut in. “You look gorgeous. You look beautiful. Oh my God. I’m a dyke.”

Eliza’s eyes widened as she looked at Maria, then smiled softly. “Me too.”

Maria, who could barely function at the moment, decided to go sit down.

Alex chuckled. “She’s uh… she’s just…”

“She likes me, right?” Eliza touched her lips, thinking.

“Well, uh, you see, I mean, she, well, she-”

“Alright, good. I like her too.” Eliza began to tie up her hair. “Anyway, Alex, I just wanted to make sure you’re alright with everything. You seemed pretty bummed when we last talked.”

Alex nodded. “I am. Thank you though, Eliza. You’re very sweet.”

Eliza smiled brightly.

“Do you wanna sit with us for lunch?” Aaron asked.

“I don’t think I’m allowed to,” Eliza pointed out. “Houses and all.”

“Then let’s just get a bunch of food, meet by the door, eat in the library, or something,” Alex decided. “Despite her abrupt exit, I promise you, Maria does want to spend time with you. She’s just… she doesn’t know how to act around beautiful girls.”

Eliza almost blushed. “Alright, yeah, library. Let’s meet at the door.”

Aaron and Alex nodded, then went to the Slytherin table.

“Does she hate me?” Maria asked.

“No, in fact, we’re eating with her in the library, come on, get some food.”

Maria groaned and then began collecting food. Alex piled his plate high, since he was hungry, and then made his way to the door. He was smiling to himself. Eliza was already there, with a salad and a sandwich. He smiled, leaning against the wall next to her as they waited for Maria and Aaron. While making small talk with Eliza, Alex accidentally made eye contact with John. He looked tired, and when they locked eyes, he looked almost hopeful. He was still sitting with the same people he always had, though, so Alex didn’t know why.

Instead of smiling, Alex just pressed his lips together, nodded, and looked back to Eliza. Eliza had dimples in her cheeks, and her lipgloss had glitter in it.

Maria and Aaron showed up, and the group walked to the library and sat down.

“I still don’t understand the big deal with the houses,” Alex started. “Like, you can’t sit with your friends because they… are in a different house? I mean, every good relationship has differing skills. You put together two people who both can cook but not clean, the dishes pile up.”

“It’s dumb,” Maria decided. “It’s just some stupid taboo that was forced onto the school a hundred years ago.”

“I don’t get it either,” Eliza stated. “I mean, a lot of my best friends are in other houses. And I think it definitely fuels the ego issue that my house has.”

“All because all the evil wizards have come from Slytherin.” Aaron scoffed a bit, his mouth full. “Yeah, I wonder how that happened. I wonder why sorting young kids into a house that is known as evil, and then telling them that it’s evil, and letting them grow up thinking that their traits and skills are evil, could ever make an evil wizard. It’s almost like the lack of choice given to young wizards about who they are affects them.”

Eliza nodded pointedly.

“We stan an ally,” Maria joked.

“There is one singular good Gryffindor,” Alex laughed.

Eliza gave a big smile. “Most of them are really just… I mean, I think things used to be different, but it’s just like… it’s like their egos just grow bigger every year, every new hero that appears as a Gryffindor. It’s just so… I don’t know. I don’t get it.”

Maria nodded. “This school really just needs a new generation teaching at it. Some of our teachers are too… too old.”

“Lupin is cool,” Alex pointed out.

“Lupin _is_ cool,” Maria agreed.

Eliza looked to Alex. “So, what did go down with you and John? Heard things got physical.”

Alex shrugged. “I dunno, we fought, and then uh, then Dumbledore made us talk about together, and then I told him I didn’t want to be friends with him until he wanted to be entirely friends with me.”

Eliza hummed, then nodded. “It’s brave to set boundaries like that. I’m proud of you.”

Alex smiled. “Thank you.”

“Maria, I heard you’re apart of WAES, what’s that like?”

Maria took a sip of her drink. “Uh, it’s really cool, actually. I became an active part of it in third year. It’s what I want to do after school, work full time for the organization. There’s a lot of really interesting people, and I got to go to a large international meeting over the summer, it was held in India, and it’s crazy to see how many people are fighting for the freedom of house-elves.”

“India, was India pretty?” Eliza asked.

Maria shrugged. “I don’t really know, I spent most of the time at the convention. You don’t have a lot of time for sightseeing when you’re destroying systems of oppression.”

Eliza leaned forward. “That’s really interesting. You know, I never really considered the horrors of house-elf slavery until you passed out all those flyers in fourth year.” She smiled a bit. “I remember taking one, and I was honestly shocked. I’m glad there’s an organization of people who are trying to do something about it. Are you involved in any other activism?”

“Well, muggle activism is actually something I participate in often.” Maria took a bite of a chip. “The Black Lives Matter movement, it started in America, but as police brutality becomes more and more filmed and exposed with today's modern technology, such a movement has spread throughout the world. And then there’s also a lot of racism in England, and then there’s the whole English Scottish thing. Brexit was a mess. I mean, honestly, it’s not that hard to find something to protest in this day and age.” Maria turned to Alex. “Are there any activist groups on your island?”

Alex nodded. “I’m a part of the Taino tribe, and if you’ve ever read a history book covering even a decade of American history, you’ll learn that America hates tribes, natives, anyone that was there before them. There’s a large push in my tribe alone to reclaim more land that was stolen from us, and to gain more rights when it comes to legal recognition.” Alex paused. “And then, the Caribbean, I mean, just look at Puerto Rico. Like any other nation, we have our own issues.”

Eliza nodded.

Lunch was a long conversation about politics, justice, and rights. Alex felt like… like he was in a French coffee house, planning a revolution. He loved it. He wanted to stay there forever. It was entertaining and wonderful. He loved talking about this stuff.

That night, Aaron and Alex met Maria in the common room. Maria was wearing black jeans, a black hoodie, and a black backpack. Her boots were black combat boots, and her hair was tucked up into a black ski mask she had pulled above her head. Her hands were gloved, and she looked like she was about to star in a spy movie.

“Alright,” she started, pulling a knife out from her boot and cutting a lock of her hair. “Ten minutes, I’m trusting you, Alex, alright?”

“Don’t worry, I got this, I promise.”

She paused, then swallowed. “If I don’t come back tomorrow, I need you to know that I did not kill myself. I have no plans to kill myself.” She pulled her ID out of her pocket and handed it to Aaron. “Keep this until I come back.”

Aaron nodded.

“Alright.” She pulled her ski mask down, and then put the knife back in her boot. “Alex, ten minutes. You got this?”

Alex nodded.

She paused, then turned and left, and Alex worked his magic. Ten minutes went by, and then he stopped. He and Aaron were sitting alone in the common room. It was quiet. Aaron kept looking at Maria’s ID, flipping it over. Alex didn’t know what to say.

Finally, Aaron looked up. “I never… I don’t sleep when she goes out, does whatever she’s doing. Do you wanna play chess or something?”

Alex noticed the way Aaron’s hands shook, the fear in his eyes. So, he nodded. “Yeah, sure. I’d love to play chess.”

Aaron got out a board, and Alex filled up a kettle with coffee, and then got them some cups. They sat down across from each other and played silently for a while. Aaron hated magical chess, so they moved the pieces themselves.

“I always hate it when she goes out and does these things,” Aaron mutters.

Alex looked up. “Yeah?”

Aaron nodded. “I know it’s for a good cause, but it just scares me. She could get really, really hurt. The ministry doesn’t care if you’re a student, a mother, a father, a husband or wife, a child, they just… they see someone disrupting the status quo and they eliminate the threat. It’s a bit scary.”

“Ah.”

“It’s nice to have someone to sit up with though.” Aaron looked up and smiled at Alex. “I know you don’t really want to be here, I know you’d rather be on a warm tropical island, and hey, I can’t blame you for that, but… I really am glad I know you. I appreciate our friendship, and I appreciate what you bring to this little group, and I just really value you as a person.”

Alex smiled. “I gotta say, you and Maria have made this place _way_ more tolerable than it was in the beginning. I really value you guys, and I’m really glad you’re in my life.”

“No homo.”

“Yeah, no homo.”

Aaron smiled. “Hey, uh, you know, I just want to let you know that, uh, I don’t really know how to say this.” Aaron scratched the back of his head. “It doesn’t come up a lot, I know, but I mean, this school, the people, we’re not… transgender people are cool. No one would bug you for it if you were.”

Alex was quiet.

“It just, like, if you feel the need to hide it, just, you don’t have to. At least, I mean, it’s just...” Aaron laughed. “Catch me calling myself an ally and then having no idea how to bring this up. Look, this school and the people in it aren’t as ignorant to gender and all that as one might think, and if you fear the idea of people finding out, I just… I wouldn’t. Nothing bad would happen.”

“Okay.” Alex nodded. “Checkmate.”

“Shit!” Aaron laughed. “Alright, you wanna play another round, or should we play cards?”

“Let’s do another round.”

Alex and Aaron played card games and board games until Maria came home. Phase Ten was Alex’s personal favorite, and it killed about two hours to get through the whole thing. Around six am, they stopped playing, and Alex focused on making Maria invisible again. He had no idea where she was, no idea when she’d show up.

At six-fifteen, she walked through the door, limping a bit. She pulled off her mask and her eyes were red and almost swollen. She stripped off into a pair of shorts and a sports bra, and pulled out a water bottle from her backpack and handed it to Aaron.

“Flush em,” she muttered, her voice hoarse.

He flushed her eyes with the water until she held up a thumbs up, and then she chugged the rest of the water. She had a big bruise on her thigh, and a cut on her arm.

“Lemme see your arm,” Alex offered.

She just nodded, leaning her head back.

He put his hand over the cut and spelled it better, then did the same with her thigh. “What happened?”

“A shit ton of gas.” Maria coughed. “Shit.”

Alex grabbed an empty cup and waved his hand over three times. Lavender and chamomile infused cream with honey and a bit of cinnamon and a little magic filled the cup. “Drink this. It’ll help your throat.”

She sipped it. “Thank you.”

“What happened?”

She smiled a bit. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve been here all night.”

Alex nodded, then kissed the top of her head. “Thank you for still being alive.”

“No problem.” She stood up. “Alright, I’m gonna go get dressed, you guys should too. I can’t look suspicious.”

Alex and Aaron stood up and walked back into the boy's dorm and changed from pajamas into the uniforms for the day. Alex found Aedificio under his covers. He kissed the ferret’s little head and then went back out into the common room. It took a few more minutes for Maria to come out, but when she did, she looked a bit better, hair brushed and eyes less red than they were before.

“Thank you, for the drink, Alex.” She smiled. “My throat feels so much better.”

“Yeah, my mother would make it for me when I was sick.”

“With magic?”

“No, no, she uh, she made it by hand, George would add the magic.” Alex smiled softly. “I learned how to make it with just the wave of a hand though.”

Maria nodded. “Huh.” She stood up. “Alright, how do I look? Well rested and innocent?”

Alex and Aaron nodded.

“Alright, sick. I’m gonna take a nap.” She laid back down on the couch and closed her eyes. Alex touched her leg and spelled into a deep and comfortable sleep, then waiting until breakfast to wake her up.

They walked into the dining hall, and Maria snatched a paper out of the hands of a first-year Slytherin and laid it down on the table where they were sitting.

“Over two thousand house-elves freed from a training camp last night by a criminal anarchist group of wizards,” she read aloud. “Huh, wow, this was the biggest camp they broke up yet. Turns out, this group has been doing this to a point where enslaved elves are actually going scarce. Crazy.”

Alex looked at Maria and then smiled. “Really crazy. I sure hope those people know what they’re doing is right and just, and that they have my full support.”

“I’m sure they do.”

“Maria!” Eliza’s happy face appeared by their table. “Did you hear that a resistance group freed a bunch of house-elves last night?”

You could almost still smell the gas in Maria’s hair. “Oh?”

“Yeah, I mean, you probably do, but isn’t that exciting? I know how much this movement means to you.”

Maria picked at a broken nail she had gained while hopping the fence to the elf camps last night. “Yeah, it’s really awesome that this happened. The biggest camp they broke up yet.”

Eliza touched Maria’s shoulder. “It’s so exciting to live in a time of change.”

“Honestly.”

Eliza looked down at her feet, and then back up to Eliza. “You wanna uh, maybe have uh…” She shrugged. “Lunch or something like that?”

Maria’s eyes widened and she smiled bigger than Alex had ever seen her smile. “Yes, of course, I would love to.”

“Great, let’s meet here, and we can eat out in the courtyard.”

“Yes, that would be awesome.”

“Alright, well…” Eliza looked back at the Gryffindor table. “I’ll see you then, yeah?”

“Yeah, that sounds great.” Maria watched Eliza leave and then turned to Alex and Aaron. “Revolution? A lunch date with a hot girl? This day can literally not get any better.”

“Bout time,” Aaron laughed. “You’ve been pining over her for just short of five years.”

Maria smiled big. “She’s gonna be my wife, and sit on my face every night.”

“Would you ever run for the minister of magic?” Alex asked.

Maria shook her head. “No, and I say this because you can’t change a system from the inside. The magical government of the United Kingdom would have to have some serious reform and political change before I would think of joining it. Regardless of what I wanted to do, if I became minister right now, I would still have to enforce the status quo. It’s like how… you can’t become a cop with the idea that you’ll be a good cop. That’s not how it works. The police need to be seriously reformed, if not abolished, and replaced with an entirely new system before anyone can join with the idea that they could be a ‘good cop’, you know?”

Alex nodded. “I think you’re a genius.”

“Oh, God, Maria is,” Aaron laughed. “She used to be really outspoken about her beliefs, but then she realized discrete acts directly against the government work better than posters and flyers.”

“Was she like, the person who stood and handed out flyers with a protest sign and stuff like that?”

Aaron nodded. “She always had a petition that needed to be signed.”

“Petitions don’t do shit.” Maria laughed. “Revolution and reform, high-intensity uproar, acts of violence against our system, that’s what works. Even if it doesn’t change any laws, thousands of house-elves were freed last night, that’s a lot more than any petition could’ve done.”

Alex held up his coffee cup, smiling. “To the active destruction of the status quo!”

“Yeah!”

Alex and Aaron ate lunch together, cutting out the article about the freedom of house-elves, and the blurry moving photo of Maria and other members of the WAES hopping the fence. Alex had never really been in a friendship like this, even on the island. He’d never really hung out with kids his age who just… supported each other. Who worried about each other, who voiced how valued the friendship was to them. Alex liked it. He liked loving people like this.

It was hard to be sad when he was with Maria and Aaron. They were his support, but he knew he could be sad around them. He remembered sitting with Maria on her bed, talking about his mother. He remembered how she let him cry. He loved these people so much.

He still had to sit next to John in potions. But he actively ignored him. In transfiguration, Alex decided to instead go to Dumbledore and take Hagrid’s advice. He spoke the passcode to go up to Dumbledore’s office, and then walked in. Dumbledore was feeding a bird, a Phoenix from what Alex knew, but a northern European phoenix. The ones on the island looked different.

“Professor,” Alex spoke up.

“Ah, Alexander.” Dumbledore smiled. “Not in trouble again, I hope.”

“Well, I am skipping a class, so I suppose I am.” Alex nodded to the man’s desk. “May we speak?”

“We may.” Dumbledore sat down and folded his hands. “What can I help you with?”

“Well, I just…” Alex sighed. “I do not wish to take transfiguration. I finished it two years ago.”

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Instead, I would like to ask you if it would be possible to have a period where I learn what I am supposed to be working on right now, as assigned by my teacher, George.”

“And what is that?”

“Uh…” Alex pulled out the textbook George had sent him. “Ignition and restoration.”

Dumbledore took the book, smiling as he looked at it. He opened it, then chuckled, before handing it back to Alex. “We had this book in our forbidden section, you know?”

Alex raised his eyebrow.

“It went missing in George’s fifth year, and one week later, he burnt his eyebrows off, but wouldn’t tell anyone what happened.” Dumbledore laughed. “I believe he was a good teacher, yes?”

Alex nodded.

“It’s very impressive that you can do magic without a wand,” Dumbledore continued. “More advanced than most of the teachers in this school, in fact.” He smiled fondly. “I will give you this period for independent study, but one a few conditions.”

“Yes?”

“Firstly, please disguise this book. Some teachers would not be as understanding to the image of you with a stolen forbidden book. Secondly, please, refrain from practicing such magic in our school. You know our groundskeeper, Hagrid, yes?”

Alex nodded.

“He will have space, outside, for you. You will have plenty of resources.” Dumbledore sighed. “Alexander, I must request something from you.”

“Yes?”

“I too, enjoy my late night walks.” Dumbledore began to pour himself some tea. “But, dear boy, I think you quite underestimate the number of people who wish to see you dead. Hogwarts in itself is very protective, but… if I were you, I would perhaps stick a bit closer to our walls.”

“Who wants me dead?”

“The LeStrange’s I’m afraid. A wicked family, though the black sheep that come from them…” Dumbledore eyed Alex. “Can often be quite good.”

“I don’t… I don’t really understand why they want me dead.”

“Ah.” Dumbledore looked at his bird. “I do not believe that is my place to tell. Your independent study period will begin tomorrow, but for the rest of the period today, go and sit in the library. Perhaps you will find something of interest, or perhaps you will have the opportunity to write to old friends without prying eyes.”

Alex stood up, nodding. “Alright, I will.”

“And remember,” Dumbledore called out as Alex was leaving. “Help will always be offered to those at Hogwarts, you need only ask.”

“Thank you.” Alex left Dumbledore’s office and went to the library, pulling out some paper and a pen. He cast out a spell, calling upon Aedificio to come to him, then began to write.

_‘To George, respectively,_

_I would like to inform you that despite the struggles I have faced, I am slowly adjusting to this school. I have made close friends, and I am not to be fretted over. I hope you are doing as well as you can be where you are, and I hope to see you quite soon._

_I have had a conversation with Professor Lupin, whom I have learned was your close friend. I have granted him respect, as I know you would want me to do._

_I am writing to enquire about my relationship to the LeStrange family. It has come to my attention that they have been requesting the removal of my head from my neck, and I would like to know why they have decided to target me specifically._

_My studies are going as well as they can be going without a teacher such as yourself._

_Best regards, Alexander Hamilton.’_

By then, Aedificio had shown up.

“I have a job for you,” Alex began, rolling up the letter tightly and dripping candle wax over it to keep it sealed and safe from rough weather. “You must deliver this to George, yes?”

Aedificio stared at Alex.

“Keep it safe, and do not be seen.” Alex blew on the letter to dry the wax, and then tied it to Aedificio’s back. “Be quick, and be safe.” He patted the ferret’s head and watched it leave. The library was quiet, so he stayed there for a while.

It was more than awkward when John and some other boy, a Ravenclaw, backed themselves into that very same aisle, making out.

“Pardon me,” Alex started.

They both jumped away and looked at Alex.

“I do believe you will not have the amount of privacy you wish to have if you remain in this aisle of the library. I’d suggest one back, perhaps.”

John looked at Alex, then back to the guy who he was just kissing. “I’ll be there in a second, go.”

Alex looked up over his book raising an eyebrow as John sat down in front of him. “Can I help you?”

“Please don’t be like that, Alex.” John sighed. “I just… I really miss hanging out with you, and-”

Alex laughed. “I’m not doing this right now. You just, you really don’t get it, do you?”

“Alex.” John let out a breath. “I just…”

“Just… just what?”

John opened his eyes and looked at Alex, his lips pressed together. “I really just, what do I have to do?”

“You have to be friends with me, not just in a library when we’re alone, but when we’re in front of people.”

“Like, a grand gesture?”

Alex shrugged, then nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I want. A grand gesture.”

“That seems a little much.”

Alex slammed his book closed and stood up. “Then don’t do it. Honestly, John, I don’t care what you do. I don’t. I have friends, you know? I have friends who are really friends. People who care about me, and value me, and aren’t afraid to be my friend in public. I really valued our friendship, John. I really enjoyed your company. But I deserve a relationship where you value me just as much as I value you. When you can give me that, when you can give me an honest and caring friendship, then that’ll be great, but… I just, I don’t think you know how to do that right now, I think you’re conflicted and confused, and that’s fine, we’re all still really young and stupid, but I just… Don’t drag me into it.”

After his speech, Alex left. Classes were already out, so he found Maria and Aaron in the common area and sat with them. Maria was listening to her music, Aaron was eating a bag of crisps. Alex laid down on the floor in front of the fire and pretended to be at the beach.

The record ended and Maria sat up, rubbing her eyes, then looked to Alex. “There you are.”

Alex smiled, eyes still closed. “Here I am.”

She laid back down. “I’m really just… too tired to exist right now.”

“You want us to bring you dinner?”

“Nah, nah, I’m good.” Maria rolled on her side and smiled at Alex. “Besides, I wanna eat with my closest friends.”

“We love you too, Maria,” Aaron chuckled.


	9. The Grandest Gesture You Can Get Without Roses

Dinner had just started. Alex, Maria, and Aaron were sitting at the table in the dining hall. Alex was eating. He had turned his pumpkin juice into wine and decided it paired nicely with the brisket. The food had just appeared, and then it happened.

From the table next over, John grabbed his plate and stood up. He walked from where he sat, down the aisle, and to the other side, where Alex was sitting. Then, without a word, he sat down next to Alex.

The Slytherin table hushed, and then the Gryffindor table hushed too. Everyone was staring at John, who felt like he was going to throw up. People were so quiet, everyone was shocked. John Laurens, _the_ John Laurens, was sitting at the Slytherin table.

Alex looked at John, eyebrows raised.

“Grand enough?” John asked in a low, shaky voice.

“You’re just sitting with me,” Alex pointed out.

“No, Alex, this is grand,” Maria cut in. “This is… historical.”

“Well, you’re not getting off that easy.”

John’s eyes widened. “What else do you want me to do?”

“My herbology homework for the rest of the year.”

“He’s hopeless,” Aaron laughed. “I think first-year herbology would be too advanced for him.”

“Why’s he sitting here?” A younger Slytherin asked.

Alex looked at the younger kid. “Because I’m the murder kid, and I am allowed to invite anyone I want to sit with me. Talk about it again, and you’re next.”

The tables were quiet, and then, people started moving. Eliza came and sat next to Maria, people began to mix. The teachers watched in almost awe and Slytherins and Hufflepuffs sat and laughed together, as Ravenclaws smiled at Gryffindors. And then, it was like everything was normal. People were laughing, talking. Alex was surprised when Lafayette begrudgingly came over and sat down next to John, but didn’t say anything.

“Alright, so now that we’re done making history, I think we should start a little book club.”

“Oh?” Alex looked at Maria, interested.

“Yes, I was recently reading about Charles Baudelaire in a muggle history book, and turns out, once a month, he would meet up in a hotel with a bunch of other writers and do a bunch of drugs. Now, we can’t get drugs in the castle, but I think we should form a muggle lit book club. I’m sick of having no one to suggest my muggle books too.”

Alex nodded and smiled. “Yes! I would love that.”

“Is muggle lit any good?” Aaron asked.

“Duh!” Maria gasped. “Alex, I can’t believe we’re the only ones at the table with muggle blood. God, there are so many good ones. Alex, what do you think would be a good one?”

“A Room With A View,” Alex spat out quickly.

“I love that book!” Maria pulled out a small notebook and began writing. “Fight Club, we should read that. Oh, American Psycho? What about Candide?”

“Oh, that’s a good one.”

“I know a few wizards who graduated last year,” Eliza spoke out. “I bet they’d be fine with sending us the books from muggle bookstores.”

“Yes, that would be the best!”

“We can discuss literature, politics, just like those old French coffee houses.”

“Yes!” Maria was laughing with joy. “God, Alex, I love that!”

Alex looked at John. “You’re pure-blooded ass gonna be shook at how good muggle writers are.”

John smiled. “Oh yeah?”

“Uh-huh.” Alex smiled a big smile.

The historic dinner at Hogwarts ended with not much bravado. Alex linked his arm with John’s and they walked outside, alone for the first time in a while. Alex was glad to be friends with John again, but he wasn’t gonna get too attached. People don’t always change.

“You think you just about ruined your life?” Alex asked.

John shrugged, looking down. “I’m honestly trying not to think about it.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.” John smiled. “Worth it.”

“Yeah, well, don’t fuck it up again.”

John looked at Alex and then looked down. “I feel really bad about what I did, Alex. I know it was wrong.”

“Thank you. Look, just, we need a fresh start. Completely fresh. Can you do that?”

“I can do that.”

Alex smiled. “Alright. Sweet.”

“Hey, by the way, you weren’t like, serious about the herbology thing, right?” John laughed.

“No, I was dead serious.” Alex looked at John. “You have to do my homework.”

John groaned. “Dammit. You’re lucky I want to be your friend.”

“Oh yeah?”

John smiled, tilting his head. “I’m lucky you want to be my friend.”

“Yeah, you are.”

Alex slept hard that night. He hadn’t slept at all the night before, waiting up for Maria, but he was asleep now.

That next morning, he woke up early and walked to the Gryffindor dorm opening. He spelled John awake and was capable of putting him in a bit of a trance to come down and open up the door.

John groaned, rubbing his eyes. “Alex? When did I walk down here?”

“I spelled you. Come on, get dressed.”

John groaned. “God, I regret being friends with you. Come on, hang out in the common room, I’ll be down in a sec.”

There were no classes that day, so John didn’t wear a uniform. He wore jeans and a hoodie. Alex didn’t own any long pants, so he was wearing a pair of board shorts, with a jumper on top to keep warm. John looked tired but smiled at Alex as they left the dorm.

“Gryffindor dorms are much warmer than Slytherin,” Alex stated.

“You guys are in the dungeon,” John reminded.

“Yeah, but I have to spell myself warm at night. I’m not acclimated to this type of weather.”

John smiled. “I think my mother would love you.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, she loves people who are cold. Gives her an excuse to knit them sweaters. She’s a big knitter.”

Alex thought for a moment. “I think I’d like to meet your mom. Honestly, she sounds pretty cool.”

“She is.” John smiled a moment. “So, why exactly are you going for a walk this early in the day?”

“Why wouldn’t we? It’s early, it’s quiet. Back on my island, my mother and I, we would wake up early, and we’d walk along the beach together, listening to the ocean Goddess, Atabey, and what she had to say.”

John nodded. “So, is Taino like, a religion or a tribe?”

“We’re an indigenous tribe with our own religion and Gods. I mean, plenty of people with Taino blood aren’t in a tribe or don’t practice our religion, but you’ll generally find a tribe on each island of the Caribbean. We were almost entirely wiped out by English and Spanish colonizers in the fifteenth century, but we’ve remained, regardless. In fact, for a while, we were considered entirely nonexistent, but… we weren’t.”

John nodded. “Huh. Do you miss it?”

“What?”

“Being Taino.”

Alex creased his brows. “I’m still Taino.”

“Oh, yeah.” John shook his head. “Sorry. I guess I meant, like, do you miss being with them?”

“Yes, I do, a lot. They’re my people. Most of them have known me since I was born. My mother was aided by every female elder through both pregnancy and birth. In my mother’s will, she asked for me to be left in the care of the tribe if anything were to happen to her, and-”

“Wait, not your teacher?”

“My teacher would’ve still been there, ideally, but my people would’ve taken care of me until I was capable of doing it myself. But, anyway, I was supposed to be living with them right now, but because the cause of my mother’s death was magical, and my teacher ended up killing several British wizards, the ministry got involved, and since my mother was a muggle, her last will and testament was completely ignored.”

“Are you going to go back once school is over?”

Alex nodded. “That place is my home. I don’t want to leave it, I never did.”

John hummed, and they continued their walk outside. The sky was a pale blue, and Alex didn’t miss how it made John’s freckles pop out. Regardless of everything, John was beautiful. There was no way around it. His dark curls fell out of his bun and framed his face, his eyes were wide, his skin was soft, with acne scars around his jaw.

“I’ve always liked sunrises,” John stated as they walked along the grass. “I like the way the sky looks.”

“Yeah?”

John nodded. “When I was a kid, my mom, we’d…” he stopped for a moment, thinking. “My father would never wake up early, so my mother and I did, and we’d sit outside and watch the sun go up, and she’d play with my hair, and tell me stories.”

Alex smiled. “That’s real sweet.”

“Yeah. I can’t wait for break, just to see her again, see my littlest sister. Are you going back to the Caribbean for break?”

“I can’t. I’m under the custody of the ministry, I can’t leave the UK.”

“Seriously? That’s bullshit.” John shook his head. “Sometimes I think the ministry just isn’t as good as they seem.”

“Yeah, no shit.” Alex laughed.

John chuckled. “I probably should be more involved in politics, but… I don’t know, it’s just a bit exhausting to me. It’s not that I don’t care, and when it comes down to it, I do have beliefs that I follow, but I just… God, I don’t know.”

“No, no, I get that. Activism is difficult, and burn out is easy. Besides, I don’t think fixing the world falls only on your shoulders. I mean, we have activist groups, people who are really fighting, who have devoted their lives to this stuff. I think, if the best you can do is sign a petition or throw in five bucks, then you’re doing a good job.”

John chuckled. “Yeah, I guess.”

Alex bumped John. “Hey, just, don’t worry so much about it.”

“Bold of you to assume I don’t have chronic anxiety.”

“Have you seen your nails? Bold of _anyone_ to assume you don’t have chronic anxiety.”

John looked at his free hand, then laughed. “Yeah, guess so.”

“Have you always had anxiety?”

“Uh…” He shrugged, then nodded. “Far back as I can remember really. I thought it would go away after my father died, but, uh… it didn’t.”

“Do you take meds?”

“Sort of, my type of meds. You know, magical potions for panic attacks and all that.”

“Ever smoked weed?”

“Uh, no, not really.”

“Hm.” Alex shrugged. “I was a bit of an anxious kid, so my mom let me puff a bit of weed every now and then.”

“Are you still?”

“No, not really. I had a few underlying factors for that anxiety, not living my truth and all that, but once I cut the bullshit and became who I am, it just… went away.”

“The fact that I _am_ living my truth is what’s giving me anxiety,” John snorted.

“Then you’re probably not living your entire truth, hm?” Alex nudged John. “You know, that stupid quote, the truth will set you free.”

“I just don’t think I’m ready to be truthful about my truth.”

“Alright.” Alex smiled at John. “Well, regardless of everything, I’m still the murder boy with no credibility who could snap at any minute. You can always talk to me.”

John nodded, a small smile coming to his lips. “Thanks, Alex. That means a lot.”

It was later in the day when Maria, Aaron, and Alex were at Hogsmeade, sitting at the pub and drinking a few butter beers. Regardless of whatever else was happening, Alex was still going to prioritize spending time with Maria and Aaron. They were his first real friends, and he wasn’t going to let that go.

“So, do you even have a winter jacket?” Maria asked, eyeing Alex’s cardigan. “I mean, dude, it’s snowing right now. You need more than that.”

“I grew up in the Caribbean, Maria. The farthest north I’ve been before is the Bahamas, and that was just for vacation.” Alex laughed, sipping his drink. “I didn’t even own a sweater before I came here.”

“Let’s go to Gladrags and get you some clothes that you can wear here and not look like a total freak. I mean, Alex, you’re wearing board shorts right now.”

“Yeah, it’s fucking cold.”

Aaron laughed. “I also need to stop at Madam Puddifoot’s tea shop and Scrivenshaft's quill shop. I just ran out of my lavender earl grey, and I _refuse_ to drink anything less.”

“I hate tea,” Alex stated.

“You take that back!” Aaron gasped.

“I will not!”

“Heretic!”

Maria laughed. “How can you hate tea?”

“It’s just not good.” Alex shrugged, chuckling a bit.

“Maria, I think we should get The Sampler for Alex.”

Maria looked almost shocked but then smiled. “You mean, _The_ Sampler?”

“Oh, yes, _The_ Sampler.”

“Wait, what’s _The_ Sampler?” Alex asked.

“It’s _The_ Sampler. Don’t ask questions. You’re about to get schooled, Brit style.” Maria held up her hand, and Aaron slapped it.

“You two are like Batman and Robin.”

“I’m Batman, right?” Maria confirmed.

“Mars, if I was Batman in this scenario, I would chew glass,” Aaron stated.

Alex laughed. “Yeah, Maria, you’re too cool to be anything but Batman.”

“Damn right I am.”

The group left the Three Broomsticks and went to Gladrags, getting Alex a few pairs of jeans and a winter jacket, then went to Scrivenshaft’s quill shop so Aaron could get some stationary. Then, they arrived at the tea shop. The smell inside of it was floral and woody, something Alex didn’t recognize. He had never really been in a tea shop though, in his defense, but he didn’t know what he expected. Jars upon jars of loose leaf tea, boxes, and boxes of bagged tea. Apparently they weren’t there for any of that, though Aaron did grab his earl grey.

The group found themselves in front of a tea box that was about one square foot. It was labeled ‘The Sampler’ and then proceeded to list off every tea it had in it.

“We’ve never really gotten _The_ Sampler,” Maria admitted.

“That’s a lot of tea,” Alex mumbled.

“Wicked,” Aaron whispered.

Maria picked up the box and walked to the front of the shop. She paid for it, and then Aaron paid for his tea, and they walked back. It was still cold, so Alex slipped on his new winter jacket, which, luckily, went down to about the middle of his calves. It was thick and comfortable, so he didn’t mind it all that much, but still wished he could be in a place where he didn’t need it.

They went to the dorm and Maria spelled a kettle full of hot water, and then put the first tea in there. It was Paris tea, which was apparently black tea with caramel and vanilla in it. Alex was only partial to it.

They went through about twenty-five teas, and out of all twenty-five, Alex only really liked jasmine, Egyptian chamomile, organic peppermint, and African solstice.

“I’ll still stick with coffee,” Alex decided, turning the last of his white pear and peach tea into a full cup of dark roast.

“I can’t believe out of twenty-five teas, you only liked four,” Maria laughed.

“What can I say?” Alex chuckled. “What, did you guys like them?”

“Yes, all of them. Tea is like… it’s delicious. There are so many different things you can get.” Maria continued to sip her citron chamomile.

“I’m just not into it.” Alex sipped his coffee. “When’s lunch?”

“Half an hour.” Aaron gave Alex a cheeky smile. “Why? Is there someone you’d like to see?”

“Be more specific,” Alex deadpanned, rolling his eyes a bit.

“He’s talking about your dark horse, John Laurens.” Maria wiggled her eyebrows.

“Oh my God, shut up.” Alex drank another sip of his coffee. “I really don’t like John like that. Is he a nice piece of ass with a good face? Sure. But the jury's still out on his personality.”

“Oh yeah?” Maria laughed. “Well, I bet I could find someone for you if the jury votes no on John.”

“Believe it or not, I really don’t need a relationship to sustain myself, and honestly? I’m not really looking for one.” Alex shrugged. “Besides, I like hanging out with you guys. What’s a relationship got that a friendship doesn’t?”

“A strong dicking,” Maria offered.

“You can dick your friends,” Aaron pointed out. “The word platonic comes from Plato, who was a total fucking whore.”

Maria laughed. “Alright, fair enough.”

Lunch rolled around, and if the night before wasn’t mixed up enough, now everyone was sitting wherever they wanted. Hufflepuffs and Slytherins were talking and laughing as if they had known each other for years, which they probably had. John was already at the Slytherin table, talking to Laf. Alex sat down next to John and Maria and Aaron sat on the other side.

“So guess who hates tea,” Maria started off instantly.

“Who?” John replied.

“Assholexander Hamilton.”

Alex laughed, taking a bite of a chicken leg. “She bought a whole sampler, and out of the twenty-five teas, I only liked four.”

“How did you only like four?” John asked.

Alex noticed that Lafayette didn’t seem to be very happy where he was, but wasn’t about to let John be alone with the Slytherin kids. “I dunno, tea is trash. I’m a coffee drinker.”

“Boo! Americans are trash!”

“At least we do more than lose wars and colonize brown countries,” Alex shot back.

“Boo! What about Iran? What about Iraq? What about Yemen? What about the Caribbean? What about Hawaii? Come back when you have a real argument and a culture!”

Alex threw his head back, laughing. “Wow, neither of us have an argument. Why are Britain and America the most corrupt first-world countries?”

“What about Canada?”

Aaron put on a mocking face. “Oh, look at me! I’m Canada! I’m so nice and polite! I never participated in the genocide of Natives! War crimes? Us? No, we could never!”

Alex snorted.

“So, you guys just talk a bunch of politics for lunch?” Lafayette asked, looking unimpressed.

“No, this isn’t politics, this is just war crimes and atrocities committed by countries against poor brown people. Politics would include opinions, this is just a fact,” Maria corrected. “Besides, you are in no place to talk, France. You remember the Algerian war of independence? Haiti? Let’s not forget France’s obvious hatred of Jewish and Muslim people.”

John snorted. “I can’t say _shit_ right now, I come from a confederate state.”

“Oh!” Maria laughed. “John, oh honey, oh God.”

“I love how living in white countries means you literally have a dozen war crimes in your nation’s history, at least,” Alex snorted.

“America’s just a fascist state at this point. Sometimes you just gotta throw the whole country away,” Aaron pointed out.

“If you guys hadn’t raised taxes on us, we wouldn’t have this problem,” Alex stated.

“That’s on us, that’s on us.” Maria snorted.

Alex took a big bite of some brown rice and looked at Aaron and Maria. “So, like, what are we doing for the rest of the day? The lack of classes is making me bored.”

“Well, unfortunately, I’m having afternoon tea with Eliza, and then we’re going to go to the shrieking shack and look at it from afar.”

“Where’s Eliza now?”

“She’s eating with her sisters in the library.” Maria hummed and sipped her tea. “Laf, you know you’re allowed to speak.”

Laf gave her a sarcastic smile. “Oh, really?”

“Come on,” John mumbled quietly.

Lafayette sighed and rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

“Damn, alright.” Maria looked towards Alex. “So, hey, make a list of a few books we should read for book club, I’m gonna pick them up during break.”

“Yeah, I can do that. How many?”

“Since it’s gonna be the second half of the year, like, two or three. I wish we had time to read an entire library of muggle lit, but unfortunately, we don’t.” She laughed. “But yeah, I’ll pick up the list. How many copies should I get of each? So far it’s you, me, Aaron, Eliza…” Maria took a sip of her drink. “John, Laf, muggle lit? You interested?”

“Is it any good?” Laf asked, still unimpressed.

“Does Britain have the worst weather in the world? Duh.” Alex laughed. “Six copies. I’ll get you some cash, alright?”

“Sure, that’ll be great.” Maria stood up, seeing as lunch was ending. “Hey, I gotta go to meet Maria, I’ll talk to you guys later, yeah?”

“Bye!” Aaron smiled. “Alex, do you wanna go see if Hagrid has anything magical animals we can hang out with?”

“Yeah, sure.” Alex stood up. “Alright, John, Laf, it was cool hanging out with you guys. See you around.”

John smiled, tilting his head. “Yeah, see you around.”

-

Alex and Maria were laying on Maria’s bed, staring up at the stars Alex had projected onto the roof of her canopy. Well, Maria was staring at them, Alex was crying. Sometimes they did this. Since Alex would rather die than cry around anyone else, he and Maria would sit in her bed and she would let him curl up against her while he cried.

Good friendships didn’t mean that his mother wasn’t still dead.

Maria never said anything about Alex crying, which he appreciated. When Alex was done, they’d stand up, leave the girl’s dorm, and never talk about it again. It was nice, nicer than crying alone in his bed and muffling it with a pillow.

Alex finished crying that time, and Maria pressed a kiss to his temple before they walked out of the dorm and back into the common room. Aaron was at quidditch practice since the season was going to start up when they got back from break.

“You want some candies?” Maria asked as they sat down in the back corner. There always tended to be other people in the common room, so Maria, Aaron, and Alex had claimed a small and comfortable loveseat in the back. Since Maria and Alex were queer, they sat weird, so Aaron had enough room to sit normally.

“Yeah, sure.” Alex laid back with his head on Maria’s lap, and Maria set the maple-flavored candy on Alex’s lips.

“You ever read Alexandre Dumas?” Maria asked.

“I think so. Monte Cristo, right?”

“Yeah.” She paused. “He was black.”

Alex creased his brows. “Really?”

“Yeah, he was an incredible black writer. The fact that he was black is really often erased, which is sad. But he was like, self-educated, and he took the name of his grandmother, who was originally born into slavery or something like that.”

“What’s your favorite book by him?” Alex asked.

“Twenty Years After,” she replied. “It’s the sequel, sort of, to The Three Musketeers. I really like it. Do you read much of his writing?”

Alex shrugged. “I think he’s good, he’s just never really got my interest.”

“You like Wilde, right?”

“I wouldn’t call him my favorite. The pedophiliac sexual tourism and the blatant antisemitism put me off of his writing a little bit.”

“Alright, who do you like?”

“I enjoy Forster. But there’s not a single beat writer who I wouldn’t read. Oh, Voltaire. He was a great satirist.”

“Some say the greatest. I hated Candide.”

“Me too. The Ignorant Philosopher was my favorite.”

“He reads like he writes just to be mean.”

“He’s a great writer of farce, satire, comedy. Of course, he does.” Alex laughed. “What about Moliere? Do you ever read his plays?”

Maria nodded. “He’s someone I can get into. Bourgeois Gentlehomme? Had me cackling. I died.”

“Did you ever watch the movie, Moliere?”

“Yes, I loved it. The part where he’s talking about how her eyes make him die of love or something? I was screaming.”

“Yeah, that shit had me losing it.”

Maria sighed, running her fingers through Alex’s hair. “Thank God you came along, I’d have no one to speak intellectually to.”

Alex chuckled. “You’re the best, Maria.”

“I know.” She paused, then gently batted Alex’s nose. “You are too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm the author, but I'd like to point out that this line:
> 
> "Bold of you to assume I don't have chronic anxiety."  
> "Have you seen your nails? Bold of anyone to assume you don't have chronic anxiety."
> 
> Is probably the best line I've written in my entire life. Anyway, go read my long one-shot kind of thing, OnlyKillers.


	10. The Biggest Mistake Alex Has Made So Far

“Focus.”

“On what?”

“I dunno, anything. One memory. Just, give me something. Something you can really picture. Right? Just, something you know.” Alex put his hands on John’s. “Focus. This isn’t gonna work at all if we can’t make the first connection.”

John huffed. “Will I have to do this every time?”

“No, I just gotta make the original connection.”

“Why can’t you just use a beeper?”

“I don’t have a beeper, John. Beepers are for losers. Telepathy is the way to go, it’s easier. Just, shut up. Focus.”

John sighed and closed his eyes, focusing on a singular memory. His sister's third birthday, the first birthday the family ever celebrated. The first birthday after his father died. Alex was trying to make a telepathic connection with John so he wouldn’t have to spell John awake every time he wanted to go on a walk in the early morning. John had to be reassured that this didn’t mean Alex could read his thoughts, but they could have conversations without speaking.

“I see…” Alex huffed. “Focus, John.”

“I am.”

“Focus harder.” Alex paused, squeezing John’s hands a bit. “It smells like frosting, pizza, people are singing. There’s a girl, young, maybe four, I don’t know, she has a birthday hat on. You’re at the other end of the table. You have two brothers, two sisters. Your mother is by the youngest girl. She’s smiling.”

“It was Mary’s birthday,” John muttered.

“Okay, now, tell me what you hear.” Alex let go of John and thought real hard about what he wanted to say to John.

“Road work ahead?” John mumbled quietly.

“Uh, yeah, I sure hope it does!” Alex laughed.

John opened his eyes and knocked Alex’s shoulder. “You’re so stupid, come on, I’m going to be late to transfigurations. Unlike some people, I have to go to class.”

“I have to go to class, just not your class.” Alex and John stood up from where they were sitting in the courtyard. “Hey, I’m gonna try this out tonight, so be prepared to be awoken late into the night to hang out with murder boy.”

John rolled his eyes. “You are absolutely ridiculous.”

“See you then, Laurens.” Alex ran his tongue over his lower lip and then turned to walk to Hagrid’s hut, where he would do his own lesson. Alex was generally not a very scheduled person, but the deal was that he could practice his magic down there, as long as he was actually practicing magic. Hagrid would check on him every now and then to make sure. Alex had decided he quite liked Hagrid. The man would bring him a Hot Toddy towards the end of the lesson so Alex could warm up.

Alex got there, and Hagrid had already set up the odd misshapen logs that were too odd to split and dry, so they just rotted and became unburnable. Alex didn’t have a problem with burning them though, it didn’t matter whether or not what he was burning was burnable, he just needed something to burn.

“Afternoon, Hamilton,” Hagrid stated gruffly, petting a boney skinless horse sort of thing with big batlike wings. It looked familiar, but Alex couldn’t place the name.

“What’s the name of that thing again?” Alex asked, coming up to the creature and petting its nose.

Hagrid looked sad for a moment, then cleared his throat. “Thestrals, only seen by those who have seen death.”

Alex looked at Hagrid, then back to the thestral. “How’d you come across one?”

“Aye, the school has a whole load of them, you didn’t take them to the castle, but most kids do. This girl is a little sick right now, I’m taking care of her.”

“So you specialize in magical creatures?”

Hagrid nodded. “Sure do. It’s my one passion. Love these creatures.” The man smiled through his beard, ruffling Alex’s hair. “Go do yer magic. Don’t want Dumbledore seeing me letting you slack off.”

Alex nodded, petting the thestral once more before going to the little area Hagrid cleared for him. Hagrid had a few bottles, a few logs, and a lot of copies of Witch Weekly, which no one but nut heads read, according to Hagrid.

Magically, Alex was a bit stuck at the moment. He could not figure out how to restore what he burned, no matter what. He had spent hours and hours pouring over the restoration part of his textbook, hours trying to figure out the trick. It involved inner peace and a full stomach. A full stomach wasn’t hard to get, but the inner peace…

Alex was almost mad at George for giving him this textbook in this situation. He couldn’t master inner peace. If anything, his inner was the least peaceful it had ever been.

Out of frustration, Alex threw a combustion spell at a magazine and sat down in the cold dirt as the bits and pieces of the paper floated around him. He was so sick of practicing this one spell. He wanted to learn something else, but there was nothing else. When George was there, they would practice at least three different spells a day, just so Alex didn’t lose it. He wished he could get that back.

Alex pulled out his textbook again, looking for anything else he could do besides the stupid ignition and restoration shit.

Fire shaping. That looked interesting. It was more of a footnote explanation of the spell, but Alex would rather attempt that one than find stupid inner peace. Maria had suggested meditation, but Alex decided he’d rather blow his brains out.

Instead of the restoration bullshit, he began to work on fire shaping, which was cool. He could start a flame in the palm of his hand, turn it into an animal. It was hard, and his dogs looked more like pigs, but he kept working on it. He was capable of getting his weird looking pig dog kind of things to walk on the logs instead of his hand by the end of the period, so it was something new.

“What’s that? A pig?” Hagrid asked, coming out with a mug of warm rum with a bit of cinnamon in it.

“Supposed to be a dog. I got sick of restoration, wanted to do something else.” Alex accepted the drink and sipped it.

“Doing better than I could.” Hagrid chuckled gruffly. “You are making friends here, right?”

Alex nodded. “Maria Lewis, Aaron Burr, John Laurens.”

Hagrid hummed, thinking. “Good kids, that bunch. Maria gets in a bit of trouble, but never anything bad. Don’t you get cold out here?”

“I dunno.” Alex huffed. “If I do, I can just start a fire to warm myself up.”

“Ah, yeah, you are working with fire.” Hagrid laughed. “Alright, finish up your drink, don’t want you missing anything.”

Alex had gotten good at holding his liquor in the time he’d spent with Hagrid, since he always got inhuman amounts of it, so chugging the rum was quick and easy. Since he had a full stomach, it wasn’t going to have as much of an effect on him either. He handed the mug back to Hagrid and then walked back up to the school.

Maria and Aaron met him in the courtyard, smiling and pulling him back into the castle with them.

“Is there a meeting tonight?” Alex asked, looking to Maria, who had her head resting on Alex’s shoulder.

“No, unfortunately not. It got moved to tomorrow for some sort of reason.”

“Maria lacks purpose when she doesn’t have a meeting,” Aaron chuckled.

“I do, I really do.” She sighed. “I’m starved, Alex, can you spell up some food?”

“Sure, but let’s go back to the common room first.” Alex put his arm around Aaron’s shoulders, smiling as the three of them walked through the warmish castle to their common room. Alex spelled up some egg sandwiches and the three ate them happily.

“So, like, do you just have to think about the food and it appears?” Maria asked.

“No, it’s a bit more complicated than that. Like, I can’t do plates of pasta or full turkeys. It has to be small, and I can never actually pick what I want, I have to describe what I need. For instance, egg sandwiches. Protein, fat, carbs. Something healthy enough to fill you up but still tastes good. It’s not my favorite spell, it makes me kind of tired, but I’ll do it when I have to, or when my friends are hungry.”

“Well now I feel bad,” Maria stated.

“Bah, don’t. It’s fine.” Alex chuckled a bit. “There are way worse spells, I promise you that.”

Maria laid back, lounging out on the green velvet couch in the common room. “You know what really fucking sucks about going to a magical school?”

“Hm?” Alex started.

“Not learning physics. Like, that’s such a cool science. European history, too. Literary analysis. God, science.”

“Why do you need science?” Aaron asked.

“Because it’s how the world works.” Maria sighed. “Like, don’t you ever wonder how matter forms? Why you feel stationary in a car? What makes things living and nonliving? How stars form and gravity works?”

Aaron paused. “Yeah, actually.”

“Physics, chemistry, biology, this shit is… it’s necessary to life.” Maria huffed. “I wish… magic ruins things sometimes. I’m going to a muggle college after this. I’m gonna study the sciences, the maths. This shit is just so cool, and important.” She looked at Alex. “What about you, sugar? What do you want to do after Hogwarts?”

“I wanna be a surfing teacher. That takes schooling on its own, and then, uh, maybe get an associate's degree in English or something. Is there a wizarding college?”

“Sort of. You pick a career you want to do, and then you get a year of training in that field provided by your employer, then you work that job,” Aaron answered.

“And what do you want to do?” Alex asked.

“I would like to be an herbologist or a potioneer. I don’t know. Something like that.”

“You should figure it out soon, we won’t be here next year to help you.”

“Oh, you’ll let me stay in your flat during break, won’t you?” Aaron chuckled.

“Maybe.”

“We could all just go to Alex’s island for break, he could teach us how to surf.”

Alex smiled. “I don’t think I’d be certified by that point in time.”

“That’s alright.” Maria looked over at Alex. “We won’t tell.”

It was that night when Alex was creeping through the castle and to the Gryffindor dorm. He hoped John was close enough to make and maintain the connection. The portrait of the fat lady was sleeping, so Alex pressed his hand to the stone and focused. He focused on John, focused on the memory John used to make the original connection.

Suddenly, like two telephones being connected, something clicked, and Alex was inside John’s mind.

‘ _John_ ,’ He thought loudly. ‘ _Wake up John_.’ He gave it a few moments, since John couldn’t respond, then began to speak again. ‘ _I’m at the door. You’ve got five minutes, and then I’m leaving_.’

It took three for John to answer.

He was in red and yellow flannel pajamas, as well as a grey robe. His hair stuck out everywhere, and he looked tired. “Please tell me we aren’t going for a walk.”

“We don’t have to.” Alex tilted his head. “Come on, lemme in, let’s just sit and talk.”

John stepped to the side so Alex could enter, then closed the door. “Why are you up, anyway?”

“Couldn’t sleep.”

John hummed. “I guess I couldn’t really either. I’ve been tossing and turning, drifting in and out.”

Alex went and sat down next to the fire, rubbing his hands together. “God, it’s so much warmer in your dorms.”

“Are you cold?” John asked.

Alex was wearing flannel lined jeans and a sweater, but he was. “Yeah, always.”

John grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around Alex’s shoulders before sitting on the floor next to him. “There we go.”

Alex sighed, smiling a bit, and tugged the blanket a bit tighter around his shoulders. “You know, sitting by the fire late at night does have its own kind of appeal. I’ve never had a fireplace where I live, so I’ve only seen this shit in movies. But it’s nice.”

John chuckled. “I think I have three fireplaces in my house. God, I can’t wait to go home for break. I’ve always hated how long I go without seeing my family. I miss my mom. And my sister. My house is a lot warmer and cozier than Hogwarts too. I don’t really like the whole castle aesthetic.”

“Oh yeah?” Alex laughed.

“Yeah. I’ve always liked those old schoolhouses with two-person dorms and quaint classrooms. You know?”

“Oh, like, the twenties schoolboy kinda thing, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Hold on, let me guess, you read a homoerotic novel about boarding schools at an age too young to be reading that stuff and it awoke something in you.”

John’s smile was enough for anyone to know that Alex was right. “The Dark Is The Night series. Bought the whole thing at a used book shop when I was nine, I had a high reading level for my age. First time I ever read about two men being in a relationship. I had to hide the whole series under my bed until my father left the picture, but I poured over those books. I’d finish reading the series and start all over.”

Alex laughed.

“What about you? What was your sexual awakening?”

“I didn’t have one. I didn’t really need one. I mean, I just grew up liking boys and girls, and no one ever said anything about it. My mom didn’t care. She’d treat the boys I got crushes on the same way she’d treat the girls I got crushes on. I mean, same with gender. I guess I subscribe to the gender binary but like…” Alex shrugged. “I mean, gender in itself is a really white concept. I know plenty of two-spirit people, people who subscribe to a third gender. And it’s not taboo or weird or unheard of. I mean, plenty of Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, Indians, Africans, and so on have more than just two genders. I mean, the gender binary came with the Europeans. My tribe doesn’t subscribe to the same gender binary that colonizers do.”

John nodded. “Gender is so confusing.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” John paused for a moment, then spoke. “Like, I’m a guy. I know that. But at the same time, like, I’m not just a guy. Like I’m only comfortable with male pronouns, I want people to see me as a male, but like, I don’t know. It’s just, gender has such a loose hold on me, you know?”

Alex nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I think people like us, gender isn’t experienced the way people not like us experience it. Because being socialized one way, and then becoming another way isn’t just like flipping a switch.”

“Exactly. It’s like, turning a dial, but slowly.”

“And sometimes that dial, like, it doesn’t even turn all the way.”

John nodded slowly.

Alex shrugged. “You want something to drink?”

“Sure.”

“Go get me two cups.”

John got up and found two teacups, and then handed them to Alex. Into his, Alex put coffee, and into John’s, Alex put lavender tea with honey and cream. It was a wild guess, but John liked it.

“So, where are you going for break? Back to your island?”

Alex shook his head. “I’m stuck here.”

“Wait, what?”

“I can’t go anywhere without a guardian that can pass a wizarding background check since I’m technically under the care of the ministry. I can’t go with Maria, because they won’t let me go with muggles, and I can’t go with Aaron because Aaron is going with Maria.”

John frowned. “That’s bullshit.”

“Yeah, it’s alright.”

“No, it’s not. Why don’t you just come with me? Ministry is hella familiar with my mom, she’s full wizard, the only thing she’s ever done wrong is a little bit of murder, but that was justified and excused in a court of wizarding law.”

“We’d have to talk to the minister, and your mom would have to sign something, and it would be a whole-”

“Well good thing we’re deciding this now.” John laughed. “I’m not letting you spend the entirety of break in a place that you don’t even want to be. Come on, it’ll be awesome. You can meet my family, we can go frogging, drink moonshine, do some redneck shit.”

“Redneck shit?” Alex deadpanned.

“Oh, I know you think rednecks are conservative assholes, but those are only fake rednecks. Real rednecks hate the government and stand in solidarity with black people and Native Americans. I mean, why do you think they barbecue so much? They learned that shit from black people. I’ll introduce you to a few of my redneck friends. We can go truck mudding. It’ll be awesome.”

Alex shrugged. “I really don’t want to be a bother.”

“No, you literally won’t be. Our house is just, like, there’s plenty of room. And my mom just magics her way through dinner to feed enough people, it’s not more work. We have plenty of chairs, and God, there are already five kids, what’s one more?”

Alex smiled. “You sure you want the freaky murder kid coming with you?”

“Absolutely. And I’ll take pictures and hang them up by my bed.”

“Ha.” Alex chuckled a bit. “I think you’re real nice when you don’t give in to peer pressure.”

“Yeah, it’s the anxiety.” John shrugged. “You know.”

“Thanks for not being an asshole.”

“Yeah, no problem.”

Alex looked up at John, then back down. “You know, I mean, look, don’t take this in the wrong way, but you’ve got really pretty eyes.”

“How can I take that the wrong way?” John laughed.

“You know, like, you’d take it in a way I don’t mean. Some kind of romance bullshit. I don’t mean it like that.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

John raised an eyebrow, smiling. “You sure?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Sure you’re sure?”

“Oh, shut up. See, I knew you’d take it in the wrong way.”

“I’m not taking it in the wrong way.”

Alex glared at John. “You are, I can tell.”

“Oh, you can tell?”

“Yeah.”

John smiled, biting his bottom lip. “You got really pretty eyes. Take that in the wrong way though.”

“You are a son of a bitch.”

John sighed softly. “I know.”

Alex didn’t expect John to kiss him, but it happened.

John’s lips were soft and gentle, and the kiss itself only lasted a second, just enough for Alex’s lips to taste John’s lavender honey tea. They were quiet for a moment, staring at each other, and then Alex set down his coffee and pushed John back, climbing on top of him and kissing him. Alex had never been a pillow prince, he liked having the upper hand, at least in the beginning.

John’s hands went up Alex’s sweater and onto his back, running his fingers down Alex’s skin gently and sweetly. Alex felt so happy with the kiss. He had been so touch-starved for so long, and the affection John was giving him felt so pleasant, so comfortable. Both of them would have kissed all night. No thoughts, nothing going around in their heads, just John’s tongue, Alex’s teeth, hands, thighs, lips.

“What the fuck.”

Alex jumped off of John, knocking over his coffee.

In the doorway of the stairwell up to the boy's dorm stood Lafayette. He looked entirely shocked, and definitely not okay with what he just walked in on.

“Oh, wow, look at the time.” Alex checked his watchless wrist. “I’ve gotta head to class. John, I will have your dental results to you on Monday. Alright, we’re gonna-”

“Hold on, wait, stop.” Lafayette walked towards Alex. “You were just kissing John!”

“Technically John kissed me,” Alex pointed out.

At this point, John had gotten up off the floor and walked over to stand between Alex and Lafayette a bit. “Okay, wait, hold on, this is just a big misunderstanding.”

“He’s a freak, John!” Lafayette accused.

“Hey, now, I’m not a freak!” Alex argued back.

“Yes, you are!”

“Laf!”

“You’re an asshole!”

“Alex!”

“Well hold on, you know something? You-”

“Would you both shut up?” John gasped. “God, I don’t see why you can’t just get along. You both are smart, and you both come from fucked up families, and you both aren’t from Britain. Also, you’re both my friends!” He shook his head. “Actually, I can’t handle this, I can’t. You know what?” He held up his hands, closing his eyes for a moment. “I actually can’t handle this. Yeah, I can’t handle this. I’m going back to bed, goodnight.”

John turned and left, and then it was just Alex and Lafayette, staring at each other in a confused manner.

“I’m not a freak,” Alex stated.

Lafayette was quiet for a moment. “I don’t want you kissing John.”

“To be honest, Laf? I don’t want me kissing John either.”

“Really? Not the message I got from just now.”

“It was impulsive. Look, I just…” Alex shook his head. “John is nice, and I’m confused, and I don’t… I’m not interested in dating John, really, I’m not. I just, I have a lot on my plate right now.”

Lafayette pressed his lips together. “Then why are you hanging out with him so much?”

Alex shrugged. “Probably because he’s my friend.”

“It’s weird, Gryffindors and Slytherins being friends.”

“Not to me. This shit…” Alex shrugged. “Is it really that big a deal?”

“I mean, yeah.”

“But not really. Not to a point where we as people should be fighting for no other reason than the fact that we have different personality traits.”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe.” Alex snorted a bit. “Look, I kinda only came here to hang out with John, and he’s asleep, so I’m gonna head back. I’ll… I’ll see you at breakfast, Laf.”

“Yeah, breakfast,” Lafayette agreed.

Alex left the Gryffindor dorm, sighing a bit to himself. He didn’t really care all that much about Laf calling him a freak. That wasn’t on his mind. What was on his mind was the most terrifying fact of his actions.

He had kissed John Laurens.

And he liked it.


	11. The Relationship Alex Has With The LeStranges

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, the playlist for this story is called Ignite and it's by undasrego on Spotify

“Aaron, Aaron, wake up. Wake up right now.” Alex pushed at his friend. “Come on, dude, wake up.”

Aaron groaned. “Mm, what?”

“We need to talk, right now.”

“Now? But I just got home.”

“No, Aaron, wake up.”

Aaron opened his eyes, looking at Alex. “What?”

“We need to talk.”

“Right now?”

“Yes, get up.” Alex pulled Aaron out of his bed and into the common room. “I just did something bad, really bad.”

“Really bad?” Aaron sat down. “Like, one to ten?”

“Eleven,” Alex spat out, putting his head between his hands.

“Oh, God, did you kill someone?” Aaron gasped.

“What? No. Worse.”

“Worse!” Aaron leaned forward, looking at Alex. “Did you break Maria’s Edith Piaf record?”

“No, I…” Alex shook his head, trying to understand what he did. “I kissed John.”

“John.” Aaron paused. “John as in John Laurens? The Gryffindor? The one you punched in the mouth two weeks ago?”

“Yes, him.”

“Wow.” He let out a deep breath. “ _Wow_.”

“Oh, God, now things are going to be awkward, and I can never see him ever again, and we’re all going to die.”

“How’d it go down?” Aaron asked.

“I dunno, John and I were just talking, and then John complimented my eyes, and then he kissed me, and then Laf walked in, and then John got fed up with us arguing and left, and then I left, and then I woke you up.”

“Was it like, a small kiss?”

“No, we were almost grinding on each other.”

“With tongue?”

“With tongue!”

“Oh, man, you’re screwed.”

Alex glared at Aaron, then let out a long breath of air. “God, just when things were starting to return to normal. Oh, and here’s the best part, he had _just_ invited me to spend break at his house.”

“Oh, wow.” Aaron hummed. “Yeah, you’re fucked. I don’t even got any advice. You’re screwed. You ain’t got nothing going for you. I hope you’ve said your prayers and asked for forgiveness. Yeah…” He shook his head. “You’re absolutely screwed.”

“Thanks.”

“I’m kidding. Not really, but kind of. I mean, worst-case scenario, Maria has to beat someone up. She’s good at that though. I mean, that’s how we became friends.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, it was my first year, and she threw me in a trash can and told me to stop being such a bitch.”

Alex laughed. “What were you doing?”

“Walking down the hall.” Aaron smiled. “Then she pulled me out, spelled me clean, and told me that I could roll with her as long as I grew a pair.”

“Huh.” Alex put his hands over his face. “What am I gonna do?”

“I dunno. You usually figure it out though.”

“I’m being serious.”

“So am I. Dude, you showed up to this school with like, people thinking you’re some crazy psycho. I mean, people still think that but they also know not to fuck with you, and you made friends, figured out how to survive. People have done way worse.”

“This is different.”

“How?”

“This is touchy-feely shit, not some murder spree and a change in scenery.”

Aaron paused. “You know what Maria said when she first saw you?”

“What?”

“She said ‘look at that freak, he’ll fit right in with us’ and then went and sat down with you. Maria doesn’t fuck with people who are bitches, who are annoying and passive, who can’t do anything for themselves. She wouldn’t be friends with you if she didn’t think you could handle yourself. And you can. You know what to do, even if you don’t.”

Alex nodded.

“Well, I’m up for the day.”

“Shit, sorry.”

“Eh, don’t worry about it.” Aaron got a chessboard. “Alright, you wanna play?”

“Yeah, actually. Muggle chess, right?”

“Yeah. I don’t like calling out the places. White or black?”

“Caribbean.”

Aaron laughed.

“No, actually, I think one thing people forget is the number of black people in the islands,” Alex started as Aaron began to set up the pieces. “I mean, like, we’re right next to Jamaica, and like, there were so many plantations down there, because of all the sugar cane. Like, I’m really light-skinned compared to most of the people around me. But like, that’s never really shown in the media because of colorism and racism.”

Aaron nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I’ve never lived in a place where black and brown people are a population majority. I’ve been in London my whole life.”

“Do you know much about your heritage?”

“No, slavery.” Aaron shrugged, moving a pawn. “I’m from Africa. I don’t know where though. I don’t want to do those DNA test things. I mean, Burr isn’t even my Paternal last name, it was given to my grandfather’s father by a slave owner.”

“Would you ever change it?” Alex asked.

“Yes and no. I would if I knew what my family’s name was, but I’m not just going to change it to an African last name, because then it’s meaningless. I mean, yeah, it is my heritage, but saying I’m African is way less specific than I’d like it to be. I mean, if I chose a Nigerian last name, and then found out my family was actually from the Republic of Congo? Or Sudan? If I change it, I want it to be because I’m reclaiming what my family had stolen from them.”

“It’s heartbreaking that…” Alex paused, trying to search for the words. “That your heritage, my heritage, it’s been lost, because of colonizers and slave owners. I mean, like…” Alex paused, thinking. “I think descendants of Africans who were enslaved, and descendants of Native Americans and Caribbeans, I think we both have different and similar struggles when it comes to colonization. Because, like, Africans were brought over to create free labor, and then the Natives were almost entirely wiped out due to disease and lack of land. It’s just, it’s a complicated solidarity because colonization and white Europeans were detrimental to our people and our history, but it’s not like Natives were enslaved in the same way Africans were. Because most Natives could just leave since we knew how to handle the land. I don’t really…” He laughed a little bit. “I don’t know if I’m making sense, but it’s just, like, Natives and Africans had so much happened to them that was similar, but also different, too. You know?”

Aaron nodded. “I mean, our ancestors were both disparaged and stolen from and hurt, but it wasn’t entirely the same, but we still fucking hate white Europeans.”

“There we go.” Alex chuckled. “It’s weird to be here, because like, all these riches in this country, like, it comes from pillaging brown and black countries.” He looked at Aaron. “Would you ever leave?”

“What? Britain?”

Alex nodded.

“Yeah. Probably. I don’t know. I mean, it’s all I’ve ever known. But I don’t really have family here or anything.”

“If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?”

Aaron thought for a moment. “Indonesia, or Thailand. But I would also go somewhere in Southern Africa, like Angola, or Mozambique. I’d probably have to learn a little French, and a little Swahili, but I would do it. What about you?”

“Ain’t nowhere I’d rather be than my island.” Alex smiled softly. “I can’t wait to get back, see my people, have a proper burial for my mother.” He paused, feeling something build up in his throat. “Haven’t gotten to do that yet. Her spirit hasn’t been able to rest.”

Aaron nodded. “I’m sorry, man.”

“It’s alright.” Alex looked up and smiled. “At least I can talk about it.”

“Yeah, I gotchu.”

It was only as the day began that Alex went back to his bed to find that it had not been empty that night. Curled up on the pillow was Aedificio, dirtied and tired, paws used raw, and a letter, not Alex’s, strapped to his back. Alex spelled his paws well again, then took the letter and read it. 

Then he read it again.

And again.

And as many times as he could before he felt something in his chest burst. He stood up, walking out of the dorms and through the castle, to Lupin’s classroom. Lupin was already there, preparing for his first class of the day, but was surprised when Alex walked through the door.

“Hamilton, how are you?”

“I need to… I can’t, I have to talk to you about something.”

“Whoa, slow down, breathe. Come, let’s speak in my office.”

In Lupin’s office, Alex was given a few pieces of chocolate, as well as some coffee.

“Now,” Lupin started, sitting down. “Tell me what has happened.”

“Well, I wrote to George recently-”

“Risky, his communication with the outside world. Go on.”

“And I asked him why the LeStranges targetted my mother, and now were apparently targeting me.”

“Yes, they do seem to want to get into the school now more than ever. Dumbledore has made well and sure that they do not come into the borders of Hogwarts.”

Alex paused. “He wrote back to me, and I-” He shook his head. “Please, just…” He handed Lupin the letter. “Here.”

“To Alexander,” Lupin read aloud, humming a bit. “To Alexander. Your question of the target placed onto you by the LeStranges is a question asked in good nature. Originally, I would’ve explained this to you in a way that greatly rivaled this one, but seeing as I am currently unable to do so, a letter will suffice. The LeStranges have targeted you because, to be frank, you are of their kin…” Lupin furrowed his brows. “Your father was a LeStrange, and you are a half-blood, with LeStrange blood running through your veins. Because they are a notably pure-blooded family, they wished to erase any evidence of their illegitimate half-blooded cousin, starting with your mother and ending with you. I am very sorry you had to find out this way, but now I will soon be with you, and I will soon be capable of explaining everything in a much more eloquent manner. Until then, George.”

Alex looked up at Lupin. “I’m a LeStrange.”

“My God,” Lupin mumbled. “I would’ve never guessed.”

“I can’t believe this. I come from the most wicked wizarding family alive.”

“Well, that’s not quite true. Not every LeStrange is wicked.”

“If you are about to use me as an example, I’m going to kick your ass.”

Lupin smiled. “No, no. Frankly, you’re too young to tell. Perhaps you remember Sirius Black? He often goes to WAES meetings. He’s the animagus, scruffy fellow, looks like he’s never shaved a day in his life, or showered.”

Alex nodded.

“He’s part of the LeStrange family. Of course, a bit separated, his mother was a LeStrange, his father was a Black. Both were just as wicked. He had every reason to be wicked, to be cruel, and yet he wasn’t, isn’t, and he was _raised_ around such evil. The fact that your mother slept with a man from the wrong family, it means nothing. You were raised by your mother, that is where you come from. Calling yourself a LeStrange when you have never even spoken to one, it seems wrong.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Then what is?”

“I always thought I was a muggle-born, I always thought… I never… My father is a LeStrange. I can’t…” Alex looked up at Lupin. “I mean, my whole life is a lie.”

“I wouldn’t say that. I’d just say that part is a lie.”

“Why can’t you let me overreact about this right now? You’re the closest thing to an adult that cares about me that I have. I don’t want common sense, I want to complain,” Alex snapped.

Lupin chuckled. “Alright, I apologize, I haven’t been a teenager in quite some time. Please, do complain.”

And so Alex complained, and ranted, and cursed the LeStrange name, and expressed anger towards his mother and George for not telling him earlier, and anger towards the ministry for not saying anything, and anger towards himself for not figuring it out. It was almost breakfast time when he sat down again, huffing and sipping his coffee.

“Alright, did that help?”

“Yes, it did.”

“Would you like a bit of advice now? Or is brooding more your speed at the moment?”

“No, I’ll take the advice.”

“I think you’d be surprised how many people come from wicked wizarding families and end up to be kind. Serius included. Your LeStrange heritage just means you must fight off evil from killing you, not that you yourself will be evil. If you were to be a wicked wizard, by this age, you would’ve become wicked already. There is no evil puberty you must hit to decide that you hate certain people. The person you will be is already shaping. You can become evil, be evil, kill innocent people, but you would have to choose to do that. It is not, and never will be, unconscious. As long as you want to be good, you will be good.”

Alex put his head in his hands. “I also kissed my friend.”

“Oh, well, I’m afraid I will be of no use there.”

Alex laughed, then groaned. “Can I eat breakfast here so I can avoid my issues?”

“Generally, I would say no. I think people must go out and face whatever is in the world. But you are almost the son of one of my dearest friends, and your morning has been rough already, so I will cook up some toast and eggs for us, and we can eat in here.”

“Thank you.”

“Yes, of course.”

Alex spent most of the day avoiding John. He skipped potions and defense, spending it in the second story girl’s lavatory, having a bath and talking to Myrtle about what to do with John. She suggested flushing him down to the chamber below so the snake could get him. Alex told her to stop being so ridiculous.

He had almost made it out of the castle and to Hagrid’s hut when John caught him by the arm, pulling him to a bench to sit down.

“Alex,” John started. “Where were you? I’ve been looking for you all day.”

“You have? Huh. I’ve been avoiding you all day.”

John let out a breath of air, looking around before pulling Alex into a more private spot. “Dude, we should talk about it.”

“Do we have to do it now?” Alex whined.

“If not now, then when?”

“Maybe after classes at the library so we can have an actual conversation, and nothing rushed.”

John paused, then huffed. “Yeah, alright. Fine. But if you’re not at the library, I’ll hunt your ass down. Don’t underestimate me.”

“I won’t, I won’t. I’ll be there, promise.”

“Alright, you better.”

Alex’s free period at Hagrid’s couldn’t have lasted long enough.

He was dreading talking to John about this. Whenever he had gotten physical with anyone else, they always had some premade agreement about what their relationship was going to be moving on. Not this time though. These were completely uncharted waters to Alex.

It probably would’ve made him feel better to know John was dreading it just as much, and already had had about three anxiety attacks over it, but he couldn’t read John’s mind, and John couldn’t read his. Both were blowing it way out of proportion, and both figured the other wasn’t. Idiots is what Maria would’ve called them.

Alex hadn’t yet told her what happened, and instead, let her talk about how she and Eliza were going on another date that afternoon. Despite his own personal tragedies, he could still listen to his friend’s wins and be happy for them.

The end of the day came, and Alex made his way to the library. He was there before John, so he sat in the very back row and read his book until John coughed to bring attention to himself.

“Oh, uh, hey.”

“Hey.”

“You’re late.”

John had been trying to stop himself from throwing up in the bathroom. “Yeah, sorry, I needed to get something from my dorm.”

“Oh. Okay.”

John sat down next to Alex and looked at his hands. “So.”

“So.”

John laughed a bit, rubbing the back of his neck. “God, we really just can’t have a normal friendship, can we?”

Alex chuckled. “No, we can’t.”

“Look, about last night…” John took a breath. “I’m sorry I kissed you, yeah?”

Alex was quiet.

“Unless you’re not sorry?”

“Well, see, I mean, it’s not _that_ , not really. Okay, well, look.” Alex took a deep breath, then looked at John. “When it comes to actual relationships, I’ve never really… I’ve never really wanted to be in a relationship, so I wanna set that boundary right away. I don’t want to be in a relationship.”

“Alright, fair enough.”

“I just…” Alex rubbed the back of his neck. "You’re great, John, really, but I’m not, I mean, I don’t want to date you or be with you, and that’s not a you thing, it’s a me thing.”

“Oh, thank God.” John chuckled. “I mean, like, it’s just, I really can’t… I don’t have time for a relationship. Not until after I start working, helping my family at least.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“So you just put your life on hold until you’ve done good for your family?”

“Yeah. But just, I mean, I gotta find some kind of intimacy. Why do you think I have my after-class activities?”

“Yeah.” Alex tilted his head. “You know, as long as we agree that it’s not going anywhere, we could still make out, stuff like that. I mean, you’re not a bad kisser, and aren’t we all starved for a little love?”

“Yeah, guess so.”

The air fell quiet, and both of them didn’t speak for a moment.

“You wanna make out?” Alex asked.

“Yeah, let’s make out.”

And that was how their afternoon was spent, sloppily making out and holding each other’s hands, pretending their stomachs weren’t warm with the liquor of the other’s lips.


	12. The Friends Alex Has Made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I don't know if I mentioned this, but I posted a short story called OnlyKillers, and then I have a thing up as well called The Rose And Its Thorn, which I publish five chapters at a time and which I'm gonna try and update today, so if you want some other stuff to read, there's that.

“You know,” Alex started, pulling away from John. “If I am going to spend break at your house, we have to get the ministry’s permission, and also Dumbledore’s.”

“Dumbledore will be easy. It’s the ministry that’s a mother fudger.”

Alex gave John a weird look.

“‘Cause the minister is named Cornelius Fudge? I was making a pun.”

“Oh. See, I didn’t get it because I don’t know his name.”

“Yeah, I see that now.”

Alex smiled. “But really, we gotta get their permission.”

John groaned, falling back onto the Gryffindor couch they the two were sitting on. It was late at night, and Alex was feeling lonely and a bit hot and bothered, so he went to the Gryffindor common room to make out with John.

“I know,” Alex sighed. “But it’s necessary unless your mom wants to face legal charges.”

“Why can’t they just fuck off?” John groaned.

“I’m still seventeen,” Alex replied. “Technically a minor.”

“God, I’m making out with a minor, you’re under the legal care of the ministry, we’re both cockless.” John laughed. “This sounds made up.”

Alex smiled. “Yeah.” He paused, creasing his brows. “Wait, how old are you?”

“I’m eighteen, turned eighteen in October. You’re basically a baby compared to me.”

Alex smacked John’s chest. “Whore.”

“Slut.”

“Bitch.”

“Wanker.”

“Stop being British, it makes me less horny for you.”

John threw his head back, laughing. “You’re absolutely ridiculous.”

“I know.” Alex untucked John’s shirt and pushed it up a bit, tapping his fingers against the skin of John’s stomach. “Tomorrow, after classes, let’s head to Dumbledore’s office. Talk to him about it.”

“Yeah.” John took Alex’s hands, lacing their fingers together. “You think it’s weird we just make out?”

“You suck dick in the back of the library for fun and have put your life on hold to take care of your family, I burn shit and plot ways to take down the oppressive system that imprisoned my only guardian, this is probably the most normal thing we do.”

John laughed. “Maybe you’re right.”

Alex smiled, then pulled John back up by the collar of his shirt. “I didn’t come here just to talk and laugh. Kiss me, you fool.”

John pushed a bit of hair behind Alex’s ear. “Alright.”

It was the next day after classes that Alex and John were walking to Dumbledore’s office. After this, Alex was meeting Maria and Aaron at the library to be stupid and try out stupid spells on each other.

“Do you think he’ll say yes?” Alex asked.

“Yeah, I think so. Dude’s pretty reasonable.” They arrived at the large eagle statue. “Lemon drop!” John hooked his arm with Alex’s as they continued to walk up the steps. “It’s the minister that we may have trouble with, but we do have a lot on our side.”

“We do?”

“Yeah, of course, we do.” John smiled.

The two walked into Dumbledore’s office, and John instantly went to the phoenix, petting it. “You know, I used to get really bad anxiety attacks during school, in the beginning, just up until my third year, and Dumbledore would let me sit in his office and pet his bird.”

“What changed in third year?” Alex asked.

“Well, Lafayette transferred over. He was new but bold. He uh… I dunno.” John stroked the bird. “He was nice to me.” He looked over at Alex. “I know you think Laf’s an asshole, and believe me, sometimes he is, but he’s not… He’s been hurt a lot, he has a really hard time letting his guard down.”

“Then why doesn’t he like me at all? I mean, I never really did anything to him.”

“I dunno, he’s just… he’s a hard person to like. He doesn’t come off nice, and he’s stupidly loyal, to a point where any other friends I make need a background check.”

“Still.”

“Yeah, just, I’ve convinced him to tone it down a bit, maybe try and be a bit nicer, I really just need you to do the same. It’s a two-way street, and I get it if you guys will never be best friends forever, but just, a little civility would help.”

Alex sighed a bit. “Alright. Only because you got such a cute face though.”

John smiled cheekily.

“Well, well, well, not another fight, is it?” Dumbledore chuckled, coming down a staircase into his office.

“No, professor, quite the opposite, actually.”

“Did you two make up?”

“Yes.” John went and sat down at the professor's desk. “And we were hoping to gain your official approval on something.”

“Is this something Alex’s whereabouts during break?” Dumbledore smiled.

“Well, uh, yes.”

“Ah, see, the ministry said it was unlikely at best that Alex would find close friends to spend break with in such a little time, but I told them-”

“Why would they say that?” Alex gasped. “I can make friends.”

“Hamilton, my boy, if the ministry had a working head within it, things would be very different.” Dumbledore pushed forward a bowl of licorice candies. “Now, I’m glad to see you boys have gotten along. I’ll write to Fudge, request his presence so we can discuss this. Two days' time he should be here. Perhaps you boys will not mind eating dinner here as we discuss this, yes?”

“Alright,” Alex nodded.

“Now, you both go, enjoy your time free of classes.”

They both left, and Alex quickly said goodbye to John, jogging to the library to make it one time to meet Maria and Aaron. Aaron was there already, but Alex made it before Maria, so he wasn’t late late. If you showed up after Maria, you were late, very late. She was what time revolved around.

“Hey,” Aaron smiled. “Where you been?”

“Oh, just had to work something out with the headmaster so I could stay with John over break.”

“Yeah, how did that all work out?”

“We just make out every now and then with the agreement that we’re nothing more than friends who make out.”

“Actually, not a bad idea. Do you fuck?”

“Does who fuck?” Maria asked, sitting down.

“Alex and John.”

“Alex and John are fucking?”

“No, we’re not.” Alex laughed. “We just make out every now and then.”

“Oh, boring.”

“And your sex life with Eliza is any better?”

“No one goes into the second-floor girl’s lavatory.” Maria smiled, then spelled a teacup full of tea. “So like, what? You guys just decided to make out every now and then?”

“Maria, I’m horny.” Alex’s eyes widened. “I’m like, so fuckin’ horny.”

“So are you guys gonna fuck?”

“We haven’t yet, but I’d like to. I mean, I can’t even jack it in the dorms,” Alex groaned.

“You can’t? I do it all the time,” Aaron mentioned.

“You do? How? I mean, I always feel like someone’s gonna rip open the curtain to see my ass up and my hand between the legs.”

“Eh, I’m just not really afraid of it. Everyone does it.”

“Yeah, but still.” Alex chuckled. “Whatever, I’ll just hook up with John over break, and then when I get back to my island, I’ll get in touch with all my lovers. Put them in shifts.” He laughed, leaning back. “Like, give them time limits and shit. Tio gets an hour though, it’s what he deserves.”

“Tio got that good dick down game?”

“Tio got that _good_ dick down game.” Alex sighed, thinking about the Jamaican immigrant who pretended to not know how to surf just to spend time with Alex.

“I’m kinda over school being in right now, I gotta be for real. Like, I’m ready to be done, out in the world, working, doing literally anything other than spending my days in a cold castle with a bunch of gross first years,” Maria complained.

“I mean, in muggle schools, they split it up at least. First through third years are in one school, fourth through seventh years are in another. But no, I’m stuck to the first year who still picks his nose and wipes it on the drapes,” Burr continued.

“At least we’re on the home stretch.” Maria took a sip of her drink. “I want to get out of England. I’m sick of it. I’m sick of being here. I want to go to…” She smiled a bit. “France. I want to go to France.”

“Why France?” Alex asked.

“Ah, because it is the birthplace of all revolutionaries and the burial ground of all tyrants. I think it’s awfully romantic, a people who are never satisfied. Always wanting more, better. I’d love to assist in a revolution bloodier than the one where Louis and Marie were beheaded.”

“That revolution was said to have killed its own brothers,” Alex pointed out.

“Ah, yes. It was Jean-Paul Marat who wrote lists of names to be beheaded, only to die at the hands of an angry woman whose brother or husband, I can’t remember, he had killed. I will be no Marat though, fear not. I will fight with the people.”

“What draws the line at the people though?” Alex asked. “What makes them and us?”

Maria paused, thinking. “Them and us,” she mumbled, pressing her tongue to her lips. “The difference between them and us is the mindset. What makes them Them is the sacrifice of the many for the good of the few. What makes us Us is the sacrifice of the few for the good of the many. Take, for example, house-elf slavery. They sacrifice elf after elf so a handful of wizards do not have to clean up after themselves. We, the Us, we sacrifice a rich wizard’s comfort and lack of workload for the good of the many house-elves that will, once we succeed, have the rights of any other magical being.”

Alex nodded. “Is France a hub for this movement?”

“There are no hubs for WAES. If there were, they would have been arrested, killed under mysterious circumstances. We have groups everywhere though, five in Paris alone. It’s like…” She paused. “Alex, you know how your American president thinks of Antifa as a terrorist group or something?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Well, Antifa to him is WAES to the ministry. We have our own groups and activists, as people who are ‘a part of Antifa’ do as well. I mean, when it comes down to it though, Antifa is just being against fascism. WAES is being against slavery. We do have meetings for like-minded people, but why are those any different than say, a Bernie Rally? People speak, we cheer, we talk of revolution and saving those less fortunate than us. I don’t think that makes us some underground organization though, it simply makes us decent people. And it’s not like everyone who is a part of WAES agrees on how we should get there. For instance, I believe we should burn down the ministry and kill all the upper-class wizards who own house-elves, and others believe that we should peacefully protest.”

“And I’m not trying to undermine what you think, I am just genuinely curious since I don’t know much about this, why do you take your stance as a non-peaceful protest and revolutionary?”

“I get that a lot actually.” Maria smiled. “Well, WAES has been around since the mid-eighteen-hundreds. People have been peacefully protesting since then. Nothing changed, nothing happened. Leaders of peaceful protests were killed, members degraded in court, and house elves gained nothing but false hope. Then, Pautercus Claw came into the picture. He was the first radical protestor for the freedom of house-elves. He threw a molotov cocktail on the floor of the ministry and kept it burning so no one could leave until the minister at that time agreed to reform house-elf rights and treatment. Shortly afterward, Pautercus was murdered, but people began to wonder if that take could work. Since we have started protesting, breaking into places and freeing the elves, harassing families who own house-elves, we have managed to greatly reform the rights house-elves are allowed, and we’re still not done. That’s the best part of a social movement with no real leader, it does not rely on one person. It’s all of us. If one of us falls, then another takes their place.”

“A bit dark,” Alex muttered.

“It’s the price of revolution.”

“I suppose.” Alex touched Maria’s shoulder. “You don’t go dying. You stay safe.”

“I’d like to see the ministry try and kill me. What do they think they’re gonna do, huh? I’m a bad bitch, they can’t kill me.”

Aaron laughed.

They talked until dinner, and then made their way into the dining hall. The tables had stopped being representations of houses and had become places to sit. Alex, Maria, and Aaron still sat at the original Slytherin table, but John, Laf, and their Gryffindor friends sat with them. Perhaps Maria, Aaron, and Alex didn’t directly interact with John’s Gryffindor friends, but there was no hostility among them.

It was about two days' time when Dumbledore pulled them out of class to talk in his office. There was the minister, Remus Lupin, and a crotchety man with a notepad and an old boulder cap.

“Please, sit,” Dumbledore invited, smiling. “I’ve made tea for you both.”

Alex and John sat down, a bit uncomfortably, but still glad to be where they were instead of potions. What Snape was teaching that day was unreasonably gross, so they didn’t mind the fact that they were in Dumbledore’s office.

“We are here to discuss the matter of Alexander Hamilton’s living situation for Christmas Break.” Fudge looked at the two boys, sitting across from him at the desk. “And the proposed place would be the residence of John Laurens, who lives with his mother, Elanor Laurens, and his four siblings, Mary, Martha, James, and Henry.” He looked at John. “Can you tell us your reasoning for inviting Hamilton to your residence for this holiday?”

“He’s my friend, and I don’t want him to spend break alone in this castle. I think, since my mother is well-known by the ministry, and it’s a pure-blood wizarding family, I make a pretty convincing case. I’m an of-age wizard, I have no magical crime record. No muggle has seen me do so much as light a pipe.”

Cornelius nodded but didn’t look convinced.

“Come now,” Dumbledore chuckled. “Boys will be boys, Cornelius. Alexander has caused few, if any issues and John Laurens is a well-adjusted boy with a mother sweeter than pie and a good family, with good roots.”

“Well, we cannot just say yes, Hamilton is under our care,” Fudge responded, his voice sharp.

“There are wizards much younger under no one’s care. And if the boy leaves, then that is his choice. Remember, it is only until January that he is required to be here.”

Alex looked up. “It is?”

“Well, yes, you have no reason to stay here after you are of legal age in America to care for yourself,” Dumbledore reminded.

Alex creased his eyebrows, thinking as the two adults in the room continued talking.

“Now, Cornelius, I’m sure Hamilton could list off his grievances with you, all the things you handled poorly, so I do feel you owe the boy an opportunity to feel a bit more freedom than I’m sure he has in these past months.”

The minister took a breath, then pulled out a folded up piece of paper. “I need you both to sign this. It is a legal contract saying that Alex will be cared for and supervised and that no physical harm will come to him. You must tell no one if possible since Alexander’s well-being is currently threatened by the LeStrange family. Will you both be able to do such things?”

“Yes, sir,” John nodded, signing the paper.

Alex signed it next, the Dumbledore signed it.

“So,” John started. “That’s it?”

“That’s it. Alex has legal permission to spend break in your home. You must do your best to not draw attention to yourself, but ministry employees will be there for the travel to protect you. You will not know they’re there, but they will be.”

John’s eyes widened, but he nodded. “Alright.” He looked at Alex. “Well, there we go. Would you look at that?”

Alex smiled. “Alright.”

“I’ll excuse you boys from the rest of Snape’s class, go walk and make plans,” Dumbledore instructed.

“Alright,” Alex nodded, standing up. He and John left the office and walked together outside, smiling to themselves. Alex looked at John. “So like, does your Mom know I’m coming? Or is she gonna be shocked?”

“No, she knows. I usually invite someone. I would invite Laf too, but he’s spending break with his girlfriend, Adrienne. She was here last year, did an exchange year from France. Since he’s French too, they decided to fall in love. They’re meant for each other.” John chuckled.

“Does Laf still not like me too much?” Alex asked.

“He’s warming up to you.”

Alex chuckled. “Alright.”

“What do you want to do while back south?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never been to that area. _Is_ there anything to do?”

“Yeah, of course, there is. I’ll take you to a few places. Cracker Barrel is a Southern staple, but something about it screams racism, so maybe avoid that. I’ll ask my mother to make some staples. She’s from New Orleans, so she’s really good at Cajun food, seafood, southern and fried, extra butter, lots of seasoning.”

“Mm, seasoning.”

“I know right?” John laughed. “Uh, it’s kind of snowy and cold there in the winter, so we can’t do stupid shit with my redneck friends, but I’m sure they’d like to meet you. We could see some sites, go to the beach.”

“There’s a beach?”

“It’ll be cold and-”

“I don’t care, let’s go. I’ll spell myself warm. I’m gonna surf.”

“In December?”

“Yes!” Alex’s smile took up about half his face. “I’m so pumped.”

“Alright, we can do that. I’m sure my siblings will have a million questions to ask you. They’re probably gonna ask about the whole murder teacher thing.”

“That’s alright.”

“They don’t mean any ill intentions, just curious. They’re all younger than me.”

“How much younger?”

“Well, Martha, the second oldest, she’s in her second year, and then James and Henry are twins in first year, and then Mary starts first year next year.”

Alex nodded. “I feel like I haven’t met them yet.”

“Yeah, we don’t really hang out in school. We all just run with different crowds. But when we go back home, you’ll get to spend a lot of quality time with them.” John smiled. “It’ll be fun, sort of.”

“I had an older brother,” Alex mentioned.

John looked up. “Had? Did he pass?”

“Nah, he’s just a dick, so I don’t really consider him my brother.”

John shrugged, then nodded. “Yeah, fair enough I guess.”

They talked until defense against the dark arts started, and then made their way to Lupin’s classroom. John went ahead because Alex stopped to talk with Maria for a second.

“So, you’re officially staying with John over break?” She asked.

Alex nodded.

“Good, I didn’t want you all alone here. I’ll give you my address so you can write, okay?”

“Yeah, of course.” Alex smiled, putting his arm around her and walking down the hall. “I’m gonna miss you over break.”

“I’ll miss you too. But we can see each other after break. It’ll be awesome. I’ll get you presents over break, we can all have our own celebration, get some pie, open some gifts.” She kissed Alex’s cheek, leaving some lipstick on it. “Alright, I gotta go. I’ll see you after classes get out. Let’s you, me, and Aaron get a butterbeer and some grub. I can’t stand to eat more Hogwarts food. I just want something fried along with something sweet.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Alex gave her a hug and waved her off, before heading to his class. Despite all the chaos that had caused him to come here, despite all the angst, the drama, and the loss he had endured before ending up in the exact opposite place he wanted to be, Alex began to wonder if he was enjoying his time here.

He had never really been to a public school before, as public as you could call Hogwarts, and while he missed the education he got from his teacher, he loved studying in the library with John, going to get food and hang out after classes with Maria and Aaron. He loved the little casual friends he had picked up. It was a feeling of community that was entirely new to Alex. Of course, he had felt accepted, with friends and family and all this back home, but there was a different sort of energy that the educational setting provided. The sneaking around, the breaking rules, doing things that he wasn’t supposed to do, accompanied by his friends, it just felt…

Right.

Alex knew he could leave the moment he turned eighteen. But he was starting to not want to. He really loved the people here, and home could wait a bit longer. He knew he was going to go back, he was sure of that, he didn’t even slightly question it, but he also knew that he was going to wait out this year. Besides, as he got more settled, started to learn a few more secrets about the place, it almost became nice to be. He could still use a beach and higher temperatures, but the warmth that his friends offered would be enough until June.


	13. The Train Out Of There

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, I just got a job so I've been working hella shifts to make some cash.

Alex was packing up his things, speaking to Aaron. Every Slytherin boy was in the room, packing and talking, promising to write. Aaron and Alex were speaking of quidditch. Well, Aaron was, and Alex was listening in hopes to learn a bit more about the sport before the season started up. Alex wasn’t really a big sports person in general, but Aaron really liked quidditch and was excited to play, so Alex let the sixth year teach him all the rules so he could support his friend at games.

“Do you guys really not have quidditch on your island?” Aaron asked.

“Nope.” Alex sighed, folding some clothes. “We surf, play cricket, baseball, polo, soccer, and then there are horse races, and crab races, and goat races. Also, cock fighting, but that was just made illegal.”

“Why?”

“It’s real gruesome.” Alex shrugged. “I have really mixed feelings on it, honestly. I mean, on one hand, it’s really bad for the roosters, and you know, I mean, dog fighting is bad, so cock fighting must be too. At the same time though, I know a lot of people who make their living off of this, and also, it’s kind of like, culture down here. We didn’t even get a voice in deciding whether or not it was made illegal. I dunno, I never went to cock fights anyway, but I guess I just don’t like the fact that our laws are decided without our input.”

“That’s why America left British rule.”

“Yeah, it would be hard for islands like mine, and also Hawaii to leave America though because our lands were just so raped, and our natural resources so extracted that like, we just don’t really have the ability to sustain ourselves.”

Aaron nodded.

“So, is there like, quidditch merch or anything?”

“Yes. And you have to cheer for Slytherin, even though your boyfriend is on the Gryffindor team.”

“Firstly, he’s not my boyfriend, and secondly, literally no man could change my mind about supporting you.” Alex closed his trunk and then lugged it up. “God, why do I have so much shit?”

Aaron laughed. “I feel that. I’m gonna miss you over break.”

“If John’s mother has a landline, I’ll call Maria’s house and talk to you guys.” Alex heaved a sigh. “Will you go back to Maria’s place next year for break?”

“Absolutely. She’ll probably be in a flat by then, but I’ll crash on her couch.”

“I’ll be out of school, so I’ll come up and see you guys.”

Aaron smiled a big smile. “Yay! I really hope we don’t lose touch with each other after school.”

“I don’t think we will. People are starting to get more mobile phones, so maybe we could get some to keep in touch. You can even send electronic letters on them, or text messages.”

“That’s crazy.” Aaron slipped on his sweater. “I love Maria’s parents. They’re like my parents too. I’ve been going to their house for Christmas since first year, and over the summer, I basically live there.”

“Is the home you stay in near it?”

“I have to take a bus, but they let me spend the night a lot. When they go on road trips, they always take me.”

“That’s sweet.” Alex put his arm around Aaron’s shoulders as they walked out of the boy’s dorm with their things. 

“Hey, you two,” Maria smiled, standing up from the couch. “All packed?”

“All packed,” Aaron smiled.

“Alex, where are you meeting John?”

“In the dining hall, by the door. He said to look for the swarm of curly-haired Gryffindors.”

“We’ll walk you there.”

The trio left the Slytherin dorms, lugging their heavy chests with them. 

“I’m glad it’s break, I miss my mom,” Maria huffed, looking at them. “Alex, I really wish you could stay with us.”

“It’s alright. It’s not your fault that the ministry hates muggles. Besides, there’s always next year.”

Maria smiled real big. “Yeah, next year we can all stay in my flat, have our own celebration. Do you celebrate Christmas, Alex?”

“No, we were solstice people. Summer and winter solstice are literally the best days of the year. We have big parties, eat lots of food. Everyone is there. It’s really just, it’s amazing.”

“Okay, next year is Maria’s flat, year after that, we all go down to Alex’s island, celebrate the solstice,” Aaron decided.

“I would love that. We could surf, go snorkeling, drink a lot of margaritas on the beach, go stargazing, paddle boarding.” Alex leaned his head against Maria’s shoulder. “It’ll be sick.”

“We all just take turns visiting each other,” Maria laughed.

They arrived at the dining hall, and it wasn’t hard to spot John. He was the tallest of all his siblings, trying to corral them. Alex smiled a bit at how frazzled John looked. It was almost adorable.

“Alright, this is me. If there’s a landline, I’ll call you guys, okay?”

“Alright.” Maria pulled Alex into a tight hug. “You be safe.”

“Yeah, don’t forget about us,” Aaron joked, hugging Alex as well.

“I won’t. I’ll write at the very least, and then when classes get back, we’ll have our own little celebration, alright?”

“You are coming back, right?” Maria asked, an eyebrow raised.

Alex smiled, tilting his head. “Yeah, I am. I promise.”

“Alright, good.” She rubbed his chin. “Go get your mans.”

“Bye, I love you guys, see you in a few weeks!” Alex chuckled.

“See you then!” 

Alex turned and lugged his suitcase towards where John and his siblings were. “Hey, sorry, just had to say goodbye to Mars and Aaron.”

“Don’t worry about it!” John laughed, grabbing the back of one of his brother’s sweater so he didn’t fall face-first onto the concrete. “Martha, James, Henry, this Alex. Alex, these are my siblings.”

“Hi,” Alex smiled. 

“He’s a Slytherin!” James gasped.

“Only in my free time,” Alex responded wittily. He nudged John, smiling. “So, are we going? Is it a plane? I took a plane here.”

“No, we’re taking the magical train. It goes all the way to New York, and then we take a regular train down to Charleston. My mother has left our car at the station, we load up our stuff. We won’t get there until late, so we gotta be quiet.”

“Alright.”

“Are you boyfriends?” Martha asked.

“No, we’re comrades.” Alex smiled and leaned against John as they began to walk. They took a carriage to the train station, then found seats. John’s siblings sat in the same cart, across from Alex and John. Alex smiled at them. They didn’t smile back.

“Alright, all of you, are you hungry? I packed crisps, some cheese sticks, mini water bottles, and then we have sandwiches for dinner, alright? Two turkey, two ham.”

“What about you?” Alex asked.

“I can’t eat on trains,” John chuckled.

“You sure?”

“Yeah.” John handed out some cheese sticks and then pulled out his sketchbook, sitting crisscross. 

“You draw?” Alex asked.

“Yeah, sometimes.”

“Let me see.”

“I’m not that good.”

“I’m sure that’s a lie.”

John huffed, then flipped through it a bit until he found something he felt confident in. “Here, this is something I did a while ago.”

Alex rested his chin on John’s shoulder and looked at the drawing. It was of the creature that Hagrid was taming, the one you could only see if you had seen someone die. It was beautiful though, with bright blues and purples contrasting, shadowing and shading.

“I like it,” Alex mumbled softly, looking at John.

“Thanks. I did it while down at Hagrid’s hut one day. He lets me draw his creatures.”

“He’s nice.”

“He is.” John sat back, flipping open a new page and beginning to draw. Alex pulled out a book and began to read. The sound of wizarding radio played quietly over the low-quality train speakers.

John’s two twin brothers fell asleep, his sister kept putting a new cassette into her walkman, and Alex and John just did their own thing. When dinner came around, John passed out the sandwiches, then leaned back and stared out the window. Alex noticed this and only ate half his sandwich, then put the rest in his pocket.

He waited until everyone was done, then looked to John. “Hey, could you show me where the bathroom is? I’ve never taken a magical train before.”

“Huh? Oh yeah, sure.” John stood up. “This thing can be a maze sometimes.”

The two boys walked out of the cart and down the train until they made it to the bathroom. Alex made sure no one was around to think wrong of his actions, then pulled John into the surprisingly roomy one-person bathroom. Magic must’ve played a part in this because there was no way it looked this big from the outside.

“Hey,” Alex muttered before pulling John into a kiss.

John smiled, kissing Alex back and wrapping his arms around Alex’s waist. “Hey.”

Alex pulled away, then got the half sandwich out from his pocket. “Eat.”

“Alex.”

“Hey, it’s just you and me.” Alex pushed the sandwich towards John. “This isn’t the first time we’ve eaten in a bathroom.”

John smiled a bit, then took the sandwich. “I can’t just eat while you stare at me.”

“Alright.” Alex turned his back. “Your siblings seem nice.”

“Yeah, they’re alright.” John took a bite of his sandwich. “They’re all going through a phase where having me as an older brother is extremely embarrassing. Mary still loves me though. You’ll meet her tomorrow morning. She always makes me do her hair when I’m home.”

Alex chuckled. “That’s sweet.”

John nodded. “Yeah, I really do love her. If she ever goes through the phase of being embarrassed by me, I think my heart will break.”

“Awh, John.” Alex sighed a bit. “I really do just want to thank you for inviting me along. I mean, I’m just very grateful that you did, and that I won’t have to spend break alone in the castle.”

“My mother loves taking in more children. And you might actually really like her. She’s very sweet and kind.”

“Most moms are, I think.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” John chuckled and continued to eat his sandwich. “Thank you for saving your other half. We can get some food when we get back to my house, I promise.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

John popped the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth. “Alright, I’m done.”

Alex turned and kissed John again, smiling. “I like kissing you. You have nice lips.”

“Yeah?” John mused, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, no homo though.”

“Bro it’s not gay if you have ur socks on.”

Alex threw his head back, laughing. “Jesus fucking Christ.”

“Come on, I bet my siblings already think we’re fucking.” John opened up the train bathroom door and they began walking back to their room.

“Speaking of fucking, where will I be sleeping?” Alex asked.

“Uh, you’ll get my bed, I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“That’s stupid, why can’t we just share?”

“Because it’s a small twin.”

“I’ll spell it bigger.”

John snorted. “Alright.”

The magical train arrived in New York City, and then they took another magical train to Charleston, and then they were there. A minivan sat parked in the parking lot, alone. It was about two am, so no one was around, waiting for people. John under the hex to reveal the keys, and then helped his siblings load up.

“It’s warmer than London,” Alex commented.

“Yeah, we’re closer to the equator down here.” 

Alex took a deep breath, looking around. “I’ve actually never been to the south.”

“Really?” John got in the driver’s seat and Alex in the passenger’s. “I would think since you’re so close…”

“Farthest north I had ever been was Havana in Cuba, and that was just for a trip I did with my friends.”

“What’s your favorite place in the Caribbean besides your island?” John asked.

“Uh, well, I really like Puerto Rico. I know it’s not part of the Caribbean, but Rio is fun. We’d go down for Carnival, dress in crazy outfits, party all night and all day.”

John nodded. “I’ve never really been down to the Caribbean.”

“It’s awesome. The only place I’d ever want to be.” Alex let out a yawn.

“You’re tired?” John asked.

“Yeah.”

“Close your eyes, it’s a bit of a drive. Half an hour. Just rest.”

Alex smiled, then leaned over and kissed John’s cheek. “Thank you.”

“Of course.”

Alex leaned back and let his eyelids droop, but didn’t sleep. He watched the South Carolina landscape go by, drooled a bit at the ocean that he caught just a glimpse of. The ground was frosty, the windows were a bit fogged. John was a smooth driver though. Alex didn’t know it at the time, but the car was spelled to be smooth and quiet, with just a bit of white noise to lull you into sleep. Alex fought his instincts and stayed awake though, every now and then looking over at John to see how he was doing.

Alex was almost asleep when they arrived at the house. It was in a muggle trailer park. It was a quaint thing, painted a fifties blue, with an empty garden that probably looked beautiful in the summer. Alex smiled softly at it.

“It’s bigger than it looks,” John stated. “You can’t see it, but there are about six stories on top of it. My mother’s mom lived here before we did, made the thing like a mansion, but our kind of mansion.” He got out of the car, waking his siblings and then getting some stuff. “The Laurens’ have never been very extravagant, and you’ll see that, so it’s not very flashy.” John began to lead Alex inside, his siblings following them. “It’s just, it’s very specific, and-”

“John, oh my God, it’s cold out, let’s go in,” Alex interrupted.

John sighed, then opened the door.

Even in the dim light, Alex could see just how homey it was. John’s mother had left the kitchen light on, and some food out. There were three couches, just on that floor, piled high with blankets and pillows, the comfortable kind too. It smelled like cinnamon and something sweet. Family portraits of John’s mother and the siblings were everywhere, all of them very candid and in the moment. 

Alex didn’t even know where to look. It was the first time he had ever felt at home since his mother died. The whole house was warm, the walls were painted a nice yellow, the kitchen was full of mismatched plates and hand towels.

“I told you, it’s not much.”

Alex looked at John. “It’s fantastic.”

“You really think so?”

“I do.” Alex took John’s hand and squeezed it. “Thank you.”

John smiled bashfully. “Of course.” He looked back to all his siblings. “Alright, take your food and go upstairs, be extra quiet, don’t wake Ma.”

All of the grabbed plates, including Alex, whose plate was labeled ‘John’s friend (so glad you could make it!)’ and then they climbed the stairway to their rooms. John was on the very top floor, in a room all his own. It was small, but quaint, with lots of posters. A small metal-framed bed sat in the corner.

“I like it,” Alex decided. “I like your home.”

“I know it’s not much, but-”

“Stop doing that. You’ve given me more than I could ever ask for right now. I love it here.” Alex smiled, taking John’s hand. “Now, come on, I’m gonna spell your bed bigger.”

“How’re you going to do that?”

“Same way I do everything. Magic.” Alex smiled, then went over to John’s bed and placed a hand on it, closing his eyes. In seconds, it had gone from a twin to a full. Alex smiled, peeling off his sweater. “Perfect. Now, I’m exhausted, and hungry, let’s eat and sleep.”

John smiled, getting changed into some pajamas along with Alex and getting in bed together, eating the sandwiches that John’s mother had left out for them.

“Have you ever forgotten to unbind your chest before sleeping?” John asked. “‘Cause I literally do all the time.”

“Oh, God yeah.” Alex laughed. “I wake up wondering why my tits hurt that bad. I mean, I forget I have tits. That’s how bad it is.”

“God, I do that too. Muggles like us have to wear something though, so it would probably be easier to remember.”

“Yeah, but I don’t think it’s really that good for you.”

“Oh, yeah, I’ve heard that.”

Alex took a bite of his sandwich. “Personally, I don’t see why magic has to be kept a secret.”

John raised his eyebrows. “Muggles have a big problem with exploiting resources. It’s kind of like…” He thought for a moment. “Are you a comic book reader?”

“No, not really.” 

“Alright well-” John got up and pulled a milk crate out of his closet. He flipped through it for a bit, before pulling out a comic book. “This is the Black Panther series. It’s about this superhero, he’s from Africa, and he, like, so basically to the world, Wakanda is this impoverished African village, you know, what Americans think Africa is. In reality, though, it’s this great and powerful place, thanks to this metal they’ve found called Vibranium. Using it, they’ve really made their city great. They don’t tell anyone about this resource though, because they know that if they did, colonizers would try and exploit it, use it as their own. I mean, I’m really simplifying Black Panther right now, because it’s not all about this, and there’s a lot more story to it. But do you get what I’m trying to say?”

“Black Panther is a cool comic book series?”

“Well, yes, but also that we’re the people that live in Wakanda, and our magic is vibranium, and muggles are Achebe.”

“Who?”

“God, I’m a nerd. He’s the villain in Black Panther. One of them, at least.”

“But it’s not like…” Alex thought for a moment. “I mean, think of all the good we could do.”

“We could also get really hurt.”

“God, the world is too many shades of grey,” Alex muttered. “People can’t just be good, can we?”

John laughed, putting his empty plate on his nightstand. “No, we can’t.”

Alex stacked his empty plate on top of John’s and yawned. “Alright, I’m crashing.”

“Yeah, me too.” John got up and turned out the lights, and then got into bed next to Alex. “I’m really glad you’re here.”

“I’m glad I’m here too.”

John placed his hand on Alex’s cheek, then gently kissed him. “Night.”

Alex was glad it was dark, so John couldn’t see the color in his cheeks. “Night.”


	14. The Laurens Family Morning Routine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I just got an Instangram. @ westcoastatlanta same as here

Alex woke up before John. He supposed that was going to happen though. So, snuck a book off of John’s bookshelf and sat down on the small armchair in John’s room, flipping through it. John’s taste in books was an absolute anomaly, as Alex began to realize. He had everything from the cheesy romance stories about werewolves and vampires written in the nineties for horny house-wives, to Plato, Ovid, and Euripides. It was almost funny.

Alex had picked out Orestes by Euripides. He sat on John’s armchair and read it, rocking a bit as he did. Greek stories were always nice, at least in Alex’s opinion, so he didn’t mind reading it for the house before John woke up.

When he did wake up, his hair was all over the place, and he looked half asleep still.

“Morning, John,” Alex mumbled, still reading.

“Mmf, morning.” John looked at his little clock on his nightstand. “God, Ma’s probably up cooking breakfast already.” He climbed out of bed and tied his hair back. “Did you sleep alright?”

“Yeah, I slept fine.” Alex got up and put John’s book back on his bookshelf. “Should we change out of our pajamas before going downstairs?”

“You are not in that type of household,” John snorted. “Most of us, including my mother, don’t leave our pajamas until noon.” He put on a sweater, then tossed one to Alex. “It’s cold downstairs, just wear it. Besides, I want to see how long it takes for my mother to realize that you aren’t one of hers.”

“I don’t really look much like you, it probably won’t take that long.”

“You’d be very surprised,” John stated as they began to walk downstairs.

A young girl and the twins were already at the table when John and Alex sat down. John poured Alex some orange juice, then some for himself. Martha came down a few minutes later, and without even turning around, John’s mother told her to take the headphones off. She was standing at the counter, cooking. It smelled like oatmeal and cinnamon.

She turned around with a big pot, setting it on the table. “Buenos días mis hijos. How did everyone sleep?”

Alex joined in the chorus of ‘good’s and whatnot, wondering if she was gonna realize he wasn’t one of her children. 

She didn’t though, just smiled and went around, kissing the top of everyone’s head before sitting down. “Alright, now, everyone, catch me up.”

“She still doesn’t know,” John muttered as James and Henry proceeded to talk over each other telling the same story. Elanor, somehow, listened to both of them at the same time, not missing a beat. 

“Your mom looks nice,” Alex commented. And Elanor did. She had a soft face, wild curly hair, and freckles all on her nose and cheeks, like John.

“Yeah, she is.” John scooped a big spoonful of cinnamon oatmeal into his bowl and then did the same with Alex’s. “Oatmeal is kind of a staple to our family.”

“That was my mom, but with rice.”

“We eat a lot of rice too,” John chuckled. 

“Perfect.”

“John, what about you? Did anything interesting happen?” Elanor asked, still not realizing that she had another child at the table.

“Oh, no, not really. Made a few new friends. People started sitting at different tables, not just ones that lined up with their houses. I think I joined a book club.”

“A book club? Why so?”

“Well, a few of my friends started it so they could read and talk about muggle lit,” John went on. “It actually seems really cool.”

Elanor smiled. “Wonderful.” She looked to Alex. “And what about…” A beat of silence. “You are not one of mine, are you?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Alex replied.

“Well!” She smiled. “Excuse me for not introducing myself. I’m Elanor Laurens.”

“I’m Alexander Hamilton, but you can just call me Alex.”

Elanor smiled real big. “I’m very happy to have you in our home, Alex. What did you do this semester at Hogwarts?”

“Uh.” Alex wracked his mind for something he could just spit out. “I began to work on a lesson about ignition and restoration. I’m not doing a great job so far, but, I think I’m getting there.”

“I understand you’re new at Hogwarts, did you have much trouble making friends?”

“Oh, no, of course, not.”

“Is it true your old teacher killed a bunch of people?” Martha asked.

“Martha Laurens!” Elanor’s eyes widened. “I don’t know where she gets this from, I am so sorry.”

“No, no, it’s okay.” Alex smiled at Martha. “Yeah, it is. Although, that’s not the entire story, but definitely part of it.”

“Then what’s the entire story?” Henry asked.

“Henry! ¿Qué te pasa?”

“It’s okay. Maybe when it’s not breakfast.” Alex sipped his orange juice, then smiled.

“Martha, what happened with you?”

And just like that, the table moved on. John reached down and patted Alex’s thigh, quietly thanking him for being patient, before continuing as if nothing happened. When breakfast was done, Alex and John got dressed and John grabbed the keys to his truck, calling out a quick goodbye to his family before walking out and getting in John’s two-door ford pickup.

John had to hold the shift a certain way to start it and had to hit the dash in the right spot to get the heat working, but soon enough, they were driving. The car smelled like weed and dust. John wore old jeans, a brown leather jacket, and a worn tee shirt that was once white but looked more greyish-yellow now. Alex felt overdressed compared to him.

“Sorry about my family,” John stated, looking through the cassette holder while at a stoplight.

“It’s alright,” Alex mumbled softly. “I figured they’d ask. Does your mom know?”

“Yeah, she knows. Trusted me when I told you were cool though. Knows I wouldn’t do anything to put the family in jeopardy.” John huffed, tossing the cassette case into Alex’s lap before slamming on the gas and turning the key again, since the truck had stalled, and the light had turned green. “Find Bruce Springsteen, Born To Run album. Not Born In The USA. That’s a good album too, but I wanna hear Jungleland.”

Alex began flipping through the cassettes as the car jerkily started and in a puff of black smoke, began moving forward again. “Where are we going?”

“My friend Mitch’s house. He lives down in the Campbell Knupper mobile home lot, so it’s a bit of a drive, but he’s real nice.”

“Muggle?”

“Yeah.”

Alex found the cassette and put it in the player. “Do you like living here?”

“No.” John slammed the stick shift into second, before pulling off into a gas station. “I’m gonna get gas, then we’re gonna go and get some snacks.” He smiled. “Before I do though-”

Alex was a bit startled to be pulled into a kiss by John but didn’t resist it. Heat crept up his neck, and between his legs. When John pulled away, Alex remained a bit flustered. “John, gosh.”

“I’ll get gas, then let’s get some food, alright, gorgeous?” John smiled, hopping out of his truck. 

Alex didn’t like how John fit the perfect description of James Dean American boyfriend, but at the same time, he did. 

Gas didn’t take long to get, and soon enough, John and Alex were in the little gas station, picking out snacks. John got a family size bag of corn chips and a can of Tostitos queso. Alex got a bottle of orange juice and a hot dog, which prompted John to say ‘ooh, hotdogs’ and get six. John paid for everything and then they continued driving until they pulled into a trailer park that looked a bit more beat up than John’s, a bit sketchier.

John pulled up to one and got out, holding the bag of chips between his teeth and knocking on the thin door with his teeth. “Mitch!”

A tall blond with an eyebrow ring ripped open the door, then smiled at the sight of John. “Alright, come in, come in. Who’s your friend, Johnny?”

“This is Alex, met him at school.” John set all the food on the table. “Spots here?”

“Spots is with his family.” Mitch turned off the TV and sat down. “How you been, man? It’s been a damn fucking minute.”

“Shit, yeah, I missed you dude. You could’ve written.”

“Fuck writing.” Mitch smiled, putting his arm around John. “How them private school boys lookin’, huh? Any new fucks this year?”

John jerked his head towards Alex.

“Damn! Nice!” Mitch laughed.

“He’s getting ahead of himself, we just make out. He hasn’t fucked me yet.”

“Yet?” John mused.

“Yet.”

“See I didn’t have this problem with Spots, we just kinda fucked.” Mitch sat back, stuffing a hotdog into his mouth, then proceeding to talk with his mouth full. “Anyway, I got accepted into a trades school. Electrical. Gonna make something out of myself.”

“You gonna stay in Carolina?”

“Me and my boy wanna head up to Virginia, or West Virginia, get outta dodge, you know?”

John nodded. “Yeah, I feel that. I don’t really know where I wanna go, but out would be a great place.”

“What about you, Alex? You live around here?”

“Not really. I live on an island in the Caribbean. I woulda gone back there for break, but I’m under the custody of the state right now, so I kinda have to be with someone.”

“Huh. Fuck the state.” Mitch stood up, finding a cigarette. He sat back down and lit it, looking at Alex. “The state is fucking bullshit if you asked me. B-u-l-l-s-h-i-t. The fuck do they think they’re helping?”

“Yeah.” Alex ate a chip dipped in queso.

“Where in the Caribbean?”

“Nevis, a bit south of Puerto Rico. It’s a small island.”

“You miss it?”

Alex nodded. “Every day.”

“Gonna go back?”

“Yeah.”

Mitch smiled. “That’s real nice.”

“How’s you and Spots?” John asked, his mouth half full.

“Spots and me is good. You know, just hanging, being cool. How long you here for?”

“Few weeks, two I think. Gonna try and show Alex some redneck shit,” John answered.

“Two cold for truck mudding.” Mitch thought. “I’m sure we’ll find some shit to do. Scratch pimped out a Subaru, we could get everyone in, run from the cops for a little bit.”

“That sounds cool.” John smiled. 

They stayed at Mitch’s house for a little longer, and then John dragged Alex to the grocery store to get groceries for the house.

“I’m in charge of getting snacks,” John explained. “My mom gets the dinner food and stuff like that, but I’m the breakfast food and snack food kind of person.” John grabbed a large bag of oatmeal and hauled it in the cart. “Sorry you gotta go on all the errands with me, but I figured it was better than facing the large number of questions from my family.” He chuckled. “What do you like to eat?”

“I don’t really have a preference.”

“You sure?” John mused. 

“I’m sure.” Alex smiled and took John’s hand. “I feel way overdressed.”

“You do?” 

“I do. I mean, all my winter clothes are new, and clean and fresh and all that.”

“Eh, don’t worry about it. You don’t really look like you’re from around here.”

“I don’t?” Alex smiled, leaning against John. “Why not?”

“I dunno, you don’t really look like a redneck, and you don’t look like a fake redneck either. You look like you’re from New York, actually,” John pointed out.

“I do?”

“Uh-huh.” John knocked six boxes of cheez-its into the cart without looking. “Are you a big milk drinker?”

“No, I’m pretty lactose intolerant.”

“Ah, fair enough. We go through about a gallon a day.” John found some more chips, knocking a few backs into the cart as well.

“A gallon a  _ day _ ?”

“Five kids, Alex.” John got three boxes of cereal, then they moved on to the next aisle. “We eat a lot. You should see the amount of rice we go through.” John got three gallons of grape juice and a gallon of orange juice. “Any juices you like?”

“Uh, not really.” Alex continued walking with John. “Do you eat more when at home?”

“Yeah. Usually. Doesn’t give me as much anxiety.”

“Why does eating give you anxiety in front of all those people?”

“I dunno.” John got a pound of shredded cheese, and then three blocks of mozzarella, placing it in the cart. “Just does.”

“Huh.” Alex watched John load up two gallons of Half & Half, and then four gallons of milk. “So you guys really go through dairy?”

“Yeah.” John put four cartons of eggs in the cart. “We go through everything. I mean, between the twins, they eat more in a month than I do an entire semester at Hogwarts.” He laughed a bit. 

“Wow. Back home, we never used milk. If we did, we’d buy like, the bottles of it, like the little bottles meant for like, single servings, and we’d use it in a recipe or something. We went through fruit though.”

“Mm, I bet there’s some good fruit down there.”

“Yeah, it’s all so fresh and delicious.” 

John made it to the pasta aisle and got ten boxes of plain spaghetti, and then ten more boxes of macaroni, and then five boxes of lasagna noodles. “I hope your diet doesn’t rely on leftovers. We never have any.”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah. Alex, three people is not a lot of people. There are six people in the house when the population is low. My friends will come over sometimes, my sibling's friends, my mom’s friends. Then, God, in the summer? We have family constantly filtering in and out. I had to share a room with my cousin Julio, who snores like a pig and drools a lot.”

“Do I snore?”

“No. Not that I know at least.” John grabbed three bags of carrots. “Sharing a room with you is probably better than sharing a room with my cousins though, no matter what.”

“Why? ‘Cause I’m your fuck buddy and I could give you head?” Alex asked.

John threw his head back, laughing. “Jesus. I mean, yeah, I guess that.”

Alex smiled, bumping John. “You think we would be able to do that while here?”

“Yeah, just gotta be quiet. My room's top floor, so people don’t really walk by it or anything, but still, there are people below us, so no rocking the bed.”

“Don’t think we’re gonna be able to unless someone magically grows a dick.”

“Oh, you’d be surprised the type of sex you can have with no dicks involved.”

“Oh yeah?”

John looked at Alex, biting his lip. “Yeah.” 

Alex smiled, tilting his head up and kissing John’s cheek. “Maybe you oughta show me.”

“Shut up,” John muttered softly, pressing his lips together. “You’re gonna make me horny and flustered.”

“That’s the goal, John.”

The two made out for about fifteen minutes in John’s pick up, hands going between legs, but only causing a friction through denim fabric. They only stopped because the car was getting cold, and the vegetables were going to wilt if they didn’t get going.

“Oh, I love this song,” Alex mumbled, turning up Stupid Cupid by Connie Francis. “Stupid Cupid, stop picking on me!” He sang along with the music. “You got me jumping like a crazy clown!” 

John looked over at Alex singing and smiled. He decided he was really glad Alex had come home with him. “So, what? You like this fifties shit?”

“Maybe. My mom liked it. I like those female punk bands too though. I think they’re really cool, the sound is cool. Destroy Boys is a good one, Pussy Riot, X-Ray Spex, The Regrettes. I dunno, alt shit is good too. Ever heard Teddy Hyde?”

“Sex With A Ghost, right?”

“Yeah, he did write that.” Alex chuckled. “I like him. What about you?”

“I like pop artists, Counting Crows, The Cranberries, Backstreet Boys, Third Eye Blind, Janet Jackson. Stuff you’d hear on top forty.”

“Janet Jackson, she’s cool, I like her.” Alex pulled out John’s cassette case, looking through his music. “Alright, you’re a bit basic, but you don’t have any shit albums, so I’ll let it slide. Oh, Sheryl Crow, she rocks.” He began to laugh a bit. “Mariah Carey?”

“Shut up, I had a girlfriend, really liked her, so I kept a cassette of hers in here, never got rid of it when we broke up.”

“Is that the truth?”

“I literally swear. The girl’s name was Martha Manning, we’re still on good terms, she knows all the lyrics to all the songs on that album.”

“Do you have any records?”

“Yeah, I do. We can listen to some tonight.”

“Who do you have?”

“All of Lou Reed, Velvet Underground. Uh, some Springsteen, a bit of Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Kid Rock, stuff like that.”

“Your music taste is  _ so  _ pop.”

“Yeah, I know. But look, the top forty is there for a reason. Because it’s good and catchy, and I like it.” John snickered. “Pick something out, I’m sick of the oldies station. Gimme something modern.”

“Uh, well we already heard Springsteen, Wham?”

“No, you gotta say it right.  _ Wham! _ ”

“Wham.”

“ _ Wham! _ ”

Alex rolled his eyes and put the cassette in. “You are such a dork.”

“Oh, I am.”

“Also, you have the  _ whitest  _ music taste out there.”

John laughed. “Do not! I think I have Vanilla Ice on there.”

“That’s black people music for white people. Nice try. Baby, let’s go to a shop, get you something new, huh? Next, you’re gonna tell me your favorite movie is Rocky.”

John was quiet.

“Oh my god!” Alex smacked his forehead. “Alright, do you guys have a VCR player?”

“We do.”

“Okay, let’s go rent some VCRs, gonna show you what good cinema is.”

John smiled, slamming the car into first gear and smiling over at Alex. “You’re real sweet, you know that?”

Alex chuckled. “Maybe.”

“You wanna play Monopoly with my family tonight? You don’t have to, we do get pretty competitive so if you can’t handle some lovingly cruel trash talk, think real hard before-”

“No, I love that, I’m so down.”

John smiled real big. “I just… Thank you for coming, Alex. I’m really glad I get to spend this time with you. In school we don’t really get to hang out as much as we like, because of everything, you know? I’m glad I’m with you now though.”

“Yeah, this is fun.” 

John put the car into break about three feet from where it actually stopped. “It’s an old truck, I’m the only one who can drive it, because you can’t learn how to work it, if you didn’t figure it out as each problem happened, you just forget. My mom almost crashed it once because of that.”

“I never owned a car in Nevis,” Alex admitted, getting out and getting the groceries from the back.

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Alex spelled the groceries lighter so they could get all of them in one trip. “We just biked or walked everywhere. If you needed to get to St. Kitts, you just took a boat. There’s a sea bridge, but I don’t use it. I went across it once in a bus, but that was just to get me to St. Kitts to get me to Puerto Rico so they could get me to New York, and then London.”

“Lotta travel,” John commented, using his hip to knock open the door.

“Enough for the rest of my life,” Alex admitted.

“Ma! Mami! Tengo comestibles.”

“You speak Spanish?”

“Always have. You?”

“Duh. I’m from the fuckin’ Caribbean.”

John laughed. “Now we can talk in secret.”

“Yeah.”

“Muy gracias, John.” Elanor came in, still wearing her pajamas. “We are almost out of milk.”

“Food!” James gasped.

He and Henry ran into the kitchen and dug through the bags, finding a milk jug, cereal, chips, and a pack of gum.

“Hey, that gum’s mine!” John called out.

“Come and get us!” James and Henry were out of the room before John could even respond.

“Aye, sorry John.”

“It’s alright.” John pulled another pack out. “I know who I live with.”

Elanor smiled, pinching John’s cheek. “Alexander, I hope my son has been behaving. He has, right?”

Alex looked at John, then smiled. “He’s been great.”

“Alright, good. I don’t want my oldest leaving a poor legacy for my other children to follow.” Elanor kissed Alex’s forehead, then John’s. “Both of you, get some food and go into the living room. Martha put on The Aristocats. Make sandwiches or something.”

John went over to the counter with Alex, beginning to make two sandwiches. “Be prepared to gain weight. My mother would force feed us if she could, I think.” John got out some turkey. “You don’t eat ham, do you?”

“No, not really.”

“Alright, cool.” John made two sandwiches and then walked out to the living room where his siblings were watching the movie. “How you feeling, huh?”

Alex took a bite of his sandwich, then leaned in and kissed John’s cheek. “I’m having a really great time, John. I promise.”

John patted Alex’s knee, then leaned against him a bit. “Alright, just making sure.” He smiled, and Alex was pretty sure it was the prettiest smile he had ever seen.


	15. The Cassette Store

"So is my music taste really so bad that you have to buy me music?” John chuckled as they walked through the cassette store.

“It’s not that your music taste is bad, it’s that it could be better.” Alex pulled a Blink-182 cassette out. “There we go. They’re good. Green Day, let’s find Green Day. Do you listen to Nirvana?”

“No, not really.”

“Oh, well you should.” Alex pulled out a Green Day cassette and handed it to John. “The singer, Kurt Cobain, he’s really hot. I’d love to see him in concert.”

“You’re a lot more punk that you put out,” John chuckled, thumbing through some TLC.

“My mom loved those punk bands. Oh, Pennywise. I love them. Unknown Road is a really good album, you’ll like it. Courtney Love, do you listen to her?”

“No.”

“She’s Kurt Cobain’s wife, a lot of people think they’re gonna split though.” Alex grabbed an X-Ray Spex album and then continued walking through the isles. “Jimmy Eat World.” Alex hummed for a second, looking at the cassette. “You ever heard of them, John?”

“No, you?”

“No.” Alex flipped it over, then looked at the guy upfront. “Jimmy Eat World, you heard any good things?”

“Modern punk band, not bad but not great.”

“Huh.” Alex put the cassette back. “Bet they’ll go nowhere. Oh! Circle Jerks!” He grabbed two cassettes from there. “One for me, because I love them.”

“Okay, I get to buy you some music too,” John decided. “If you’re punking me, I’m popping you.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, I’m talking Celine Dion, Madonna, Fugees, all that good shit.”

“God, the eighties was certainly a decade that happened.”

“Are you kidding me? The eighties were the best.”

“You were a fucking child in the eighties,” Alex pointed out. 

“Yeah, but MTV? Oh, and you remember watching the fall of the Berlin Wall?”

“That was cool,” Alex agreed. “Who was that guy who sang at it? Was it Springsteen?”

“No, it was uh… Oh, God, he was in that movie with the car.” John thought for a moment, then gasped. “Hasselhof, it was David Hasselhof!”

“Yeah, yeah, it was.” Alex chuckled. “That was so cool. I remember, we all watched it on my island in this bar. We were all gathered around this one TV, with the volume as loud as it could go. It was amazing to see.”

“I would’ve loved to be there.”

“Not for the whole part of the entire country being annexed and people dying trying to get over and all that, but taking it down, yeah, that would be fun.” Alex picked out a Runaways cassette and looked at John. “Do you have any underground punk bands around here? I think you’d like to go to a concert.”

“I don’t know, but my friend Scratch probably does, I’ll call her and ask.”

“Yeah, it’s real fun to go to one. They didn’t have a whole lot of punk concerts on my island, but there would be concerts and shit like that, and then there’s a lot of rock music in Puerto Rico, then Cuba has a punk scene, and then Jamaica has really cool like, punk reggae.” Alex flipped through a few cassettes.

“You don’t look very punk for how into the scene you are.”

“Punk isn’t loud music and a fashion trend,” Alex told John. “It’s an anti-government pro-people mindset. It’s an outcry against oppression. True punk is fighting for those whose hands have been cut off, screaming for those whose throats have been crushed, and caring for those who are ignored.”

John nodded, then took Alex’s hands and kissed him. “I think I like the way you talk. You should do it a lot more often.”

“Oh yeah? I don’t think you know what you’re asking.”

John sighed, resting his head on Alex’s shoulder. “Let’s buy the tapes, then let’s go make out in the back of my truck, how does that sound, huh?”

“Your mother is gonna wonder why we spend so much time out and about.”

“You’re a tourist, I gotta show you all the spots.” John looked around, then lowered his voice. “Even if that spot is between my legs.”

“Awfully bold words from the man who fell asleep before I even finished brushing my teeth last night,” Alex snorted, walking to the counter.

“You can’t hold that against me, I was emotionally exhausted from you kicking my ass in Monopoly. If anything, that was your fault.”

Alex put his tapes on the counter, pulling out his wallet. “Yeah, it was my fault you can’t make responsible property purchases. Passing up the railroad. God, John.”

John laughed. “Sorry!” 

Alex bought his tapes, and John bought him, and then they both went back to John’s truck. Alex put in X-Ray Spex, and the loud punk music blasted through the truck as they drove out to a pull out by a lake. John turned the car off and both of them instantly began kissing and touching. Alex began to mess with the buttons on John’s jacket, and John messed with the zipper on Alex’s jeans. They probably would’ve gone farther if John hadn’t realized that eating pussy in a truck was more uncomfortable and awkward than he needed to be, and sat up before things got too far.

“We should wait until we’re in a bed.”

Alex, red in the face with swollen lips, nodded and pushed himself up on his elbows. “You ever fingered anyone?”

“Of course I have,” John snickered, buttoning his shirt back up.

“Are you any good at it?”

“I haven’t gotten any complaints.”

“Would you finger me right now?”

John raised his eyebrows.

“It’s easier than eating pussy, and I want to know how good you are at it.” Alex smiled, tilting his head. 

John smiled, then stuck two fingers in his mouth, getting them a bit wet before nodding at Alex. “Alright then, pants down.”

Alex basked in the post-orgasm haze the entire drive back to John’s house.

“I’ve gotta, I gotta shower,” he mumbled, still a bit flushed.

John chuckled, showing him where the towels and the bathroom were before going downstairs and making some sandwiches for his siblings, after washing his hands of course. His mother was knitting a sweater for Alex in the living room, and John knew this because it had a big green A on a wave of pine green. Someone must’ve told her he was a Slytherin because John was sure he didn’t mention it.

“Food!” John called out.

His siblings came and stole the sandwiches off of John’s arms, the twins shoving them in their mouths.

“Hijo, will you eat too?” Elanor asked. 

“I will, Momma.” John leaned down and kissed her cheek.

“Where is Alex?”

“Shower.”

“I like that boy.” Elanor tapped her knee and John sat down on the floor in front of her, resting his head against her legs. “He makes me sad though.”

“Why, Momma?” John asked.

“Because no child should lose so much so quickly. I’m glad you were nice to him.” She stopped knitting and played with John’s hair for a bit. “You make sure he knows he’s always welcomed in our house, okay? He’s very sweet.”

John nodded. “Do you believe his teacher was bad?”

“Do you?”

John shook his head.

“Buen chico,” Elanor smiled. “I do not either. Maybe at first, but oh, Alexander is so sweet, I do not believe the man who taught him was evil.”

John smiled.

“Now, you go make you and Alexander something to eat. Something that will help you grow.”

“Alright, Momma.”

“Oh, and John, do you think he’ll like it?” Elanor asked, holding up the half-finished sweater.

“Yes, I do,” John nodded. He went back into the kitchen and cooked him and Alex some homemade ramen. Well, sort of homemade. He used the noodles from the package, but made his own soy sauce brother, and added his own ingredients, like cabbage and sliced roast beef. He had just sprinkled some green onions on the stove when Alex came down, his hair wet, wearing some more comfortable clothes and smiling.

“Hey,” he greeted John.

John turned around, smiling. “Hey, I made ramen. Come get some.”

“Ooh, thank you.” Alex took a bowl and began to eat. “This is good.”

“I’m a good cook.” John sat down with Alex, taking his own bite. “My family is probably gonna watch a movie tonight. Do you have any preferences?”

“Nah, I don’t really care what we watch.” Alex took a bite of his soup and looked around. “I really just love your house so much. Like, it’s literally the most quaint little place. It’s so comfortable and warm.”

John smiled. “I’m glad you like it.”

Alex nodded. “What do you want to do for the rest of the day?”

“Uh, well, I don’t know. The day in itself is pretty freed up.” John took a big bite of his soup. “We could…”

“We could overthrow the government.”

“Oh, I know.” John took a bite of his soup. “Let’s go to the aquarium.”

“The aquarium…” Alex smiled. “Actually, that sounds really nice. Do they have sharks?”

“They have everything.” John smiled. 

Alex tried not to smile too big, though it wasn’t really working to his advantage. “Wicked.”

When they got to the aquarium, Alex paid for the tickets and they walked inside. It was dark and cool and dry, and it smelled like clean floors and glass. There were a few other people there, but not too many. John held Alex’s hand as they began walking. They went upstairs together and were instantly greeted with a bald eagle and some river otters.

“I think I’d like to be an otter,” Alex mumbled as they watched the little creatures swim up and down the tank.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Sea otter though. Just float through the ocean day in and day out. Eat seaweed, clean my face, dive for fish, hold paws with other sea otters.” Alex let out a long sigh, resting his head on John’s shoulder. “It would be nice.”

“Yeah, it would.” John kissed the top of Alex’s head. “When do you want to go surfing?”

“I don’t know. Maybe at night. Have you ever been night surfing?”

“Alex, I don’t even know how to surf.”

“Seriously?” Alex asked as they moved on to the Piedmont exhibit.

“Yeah. I mean, I like the beach, I just never learned.”

“Well, December in South Carolina isn’t the best place to learn, but maybe when school gets out, you can come down to Nevis with me, I can teach you.”

“Where did you learn?”

“One of the men in my tribe started teaching me, Jadzia. He had me learning the moment I could really learn. By the time I was ten, I was capable of surfing without any difficulty. It just comes naturally to me now. I mean, I love it.” Alex ran his fingers along a tank of bass, smiling a bit. “I think you’d be good at surfing.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, it’s got a flow. You might really like it.” Alex looked at John. “I mean, what hobbies do you have? Besides drawing.”

“Uh, I dunno.” John thought for a moment. “I like to do redneck shit in the summer."

“Like what?”

“Uh, I like to drive around in a mud pit in circles really fast. I also like to work on cars. I think cars are really fun to fix up and shit like that. One of my friends, Neil, he’ll get these old junker cars from where he works, and we’ll pimp it out in his garage so it can go faster than cop cars, and then we’ll ride around the countryside with Bruce Springsteen and Johnny Cash playing real loud.”

“Is it fun?”

“So fun.” John smiled. “Uh, there’s a horse farm run by my friend Scratch’s uncle, we go out there sometimes, ride horses. It’s real fun. You know those bull things? Like, bull riders who try not to get bucked off?”

“Yeah, that shit looks painful.”

“It is. We go to rodeos though, me and my family, and I’ve tried it before. I got bucked off like, in the first two seconds, and I dislocated my shoulder and got a concussion, then spent the rest of the night in the hospital throwing up and trying to stay awake.”

“Oh, God. Fuck that.”

“Yeah, now I only watch the rodeos. But they’re cool, I like them. Uh, I dunno. On hot days in the summer, we put a tarp down in the back of my truck and then fill it up with hose water, and me and my siblings hang out in it.”

“You are the most cowboy redneck mother fucker,” Alex accused.

John threw his head back, laughing. “I know. To make it better, I have a scar on my back from one particularly long night of moonshine and knife throwing-”

“Redneck,” Alex repeated.

“Oh, I’m not even at the best part. My friend Mitch, he superglued that injury shut instead of us going to get stitches.”

Alex laughed, leaning against John as they walked through the kid's area, to the touch tank. “I would literally have never guessed what kind of redneck you are from how you walk, and talk, and act.”

“Redneck is just like punk I think, only with different music and fashion.”

“Oh? Is it?”

“Yeah, real rednecks are pro-union, pro racial equality, they fucking hate the government and also cops. Only difference is we listen to Woody Guthrie, IWW, Joan Baez, old folk freedom fighters. Also Bruce Springsteen. He’s my man.”

“What is it with you and Bruce?” Alex laughed.

“What is it with me and Bruce? The boss? The anti-war, anti-establishment, anti-racism Boss? Have you ever even heard his music? He’s a genius. He’s one of the great poets of our time. He’s completely misleading too, which is the best part. When Regan was running, he used Born In The USA as a campaign song, unaware that it was an anti-war anthem speaking out directly against the Vietnam war.” John sighed. “I mean, some music was just made for working-class America. Have you ever heard the IWW’s album called Rebel voices?”

Alex shook his head.

“God, it’s amazing. I mean, just brilliant.”

“If you weren’t gonna work with dragons, what would you do?”

“I would be a mechanic. I love cars. I love them so much. I mean, I think it’s so cool to fix up old cars.”

“Then why don’t you just do that?”

“I need to make more money than that to help my family. Also, I’d be a wizard working a muggle job. That’s a bit taboo.”

“Fuck taboo,” Alex decided. “If you like that, you should do it.”

“Yeah, maybe.” John smiled, looking down and shoving his hands into his pockets. “So, you don’t celebrate Christmas, yeah?”

“Yeah, not really. I mean, technically, today is the winter solstice, I would be celebrating today.”

“Oh, shit, I’m sorry, do you want to do something?”

“I am doing something.” Alex smiled up at John. “I’m sad I can’t be with my people this year, but I just… I mean, I could be alone right now, and I know you and your family celebrate Christmas, so I’m okay with celebrating it with you guys. I’m really glad I’m not alone in that castle right now. And also…” Alex shrugged. “I mean, the ocean is kind of all around us right now.”

“Is that how you celebrate? With the ocean?”

“Yeah, usually.”

“What do you do?”

“I just dunk myself in the ocean, I guess. I mean, it’s more complicated than that, but it’s about spiritual cleansing, letting Atabey take your body. There’s a lot more to it than just that. Ritual and all that stuff.”

“What does Atabey do?”

“She’s one of the main Goddesses the Taino people worship. She uh, she’s like this Maternal figure, and she conceived twin boys without intercourse. She’s the spirit of all bodies of water too, lakes, the sea, rivers, streams. I mean, I don’t really want to get into her whole history right now, because a lot of information was lost, and there’s some confusion, but it’s what me and my people believe.”

John nodded. “That’s really interesting.”

“Yeah, I mean, my people have a lot of really interesting traditions and like, rituals. We get left out of the media a lot, mainly because for a long time we were believed to be entirely wiped out, but I hope that as we continue to grow, we continue to be recognized.”

“I know we’re having a serious conversation, that one is you.” John pointed at tiger fish.

“Hey!” Alex laughed, bumping his hip against John’s. 

John smiled and sighed. “I love sharks.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. They get a real bad rap, but I think people just don’t understand them. And maybe I don’t know everything about sharks, but I know that they’re actually real nice and docile, and only do what they do to survive. I don’t think they’re mean, just defensive.”

Alex nodded.

John looked at Alex and kissed the side of his head. “I really like being with you, Alex. You’re one of my closest friends.”

“I like being with you too.” Alex rubbed his thumb over John’s hand. “I’m glad we came here. This is really nice.”

“Yeah, I am too.”

They made it through the aquarium, then left after Alex decidedly bought a shark plushie for John and a stingray plushie for himself.

“I think,” Alex started, getting into the car. “When I die, I’m going to come back as a stingray.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I mean, they surf their whole lives. And they’re beautiful.” Alex pet his stingray. “Are we going back to your place?”

“Not yet, we got something to do first.”

“Errand?” Alex guessed.

John paused, then shrugged. “Sort of.”

It was a twenty-minute drive to where they had something to do. They spent the time listening to the Rebel Voices the whole time. Alex almost fell asleep on the car ride alone but was still awake when John pulled into the parking lot.

“Where are we?”

“The beach.”

Alex looked at John. “Shut up.”

“Look.” John pointed through the front window, and sure enough, there was the ocean, kissed by the setting sun.

Alex smiled. “Are you serious?”

“Dead serious.”

Alex didn’t even have time to thank John, just got out of the car and began running to the beach, stripping down into his boxers as he did and spelling his chest so it looked flat and cis until he got into the water. He didn’t even hesitate, just jumped in and ducked under the first wave and began swimming. Saltwater stung his eyes and nose, and it was the best feeling in the world. He body surfed on the waves, laughed, and floated in the ocean, having the time of his life. His muscles ached as he swam, and it felt so good. 

John watched him from the shore, sitting on the sand and relaxing as Alex enjoyed the sea. John had never been a strong swimmer, and also the water was colder than the ninth circle of Hell at the moment, so he just wasn’t into the idea of it. He liked watching Alex have fun though.

Finally, when Alex got tired, he stopped for a moment, floating on the water and taking deep breaths, trying to soak in the feeling of Atabey, trying to connect to his people. It made him want to cry thinking about the fact that a thousand miles away, his tribe was doing this exact same thing, in the exact same water.

Alex swam back to the shore and sat on his knees in the water, saying a quick prayer before kissing the surface of the water and walking back to John, collecting his clothes as he did. He sat down next to the boy, slipping on his tee-shirt and smiling. “Thank you, so much. Seriously, you didn’t have to do this, but I just… I really appreciate it.”

“Hey, of course.” John put his arm around Alex, looking out at the sunset. “It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah.” Alex looked at John, then smiled and looked back down. “I’m really glad I met you, John Laurens. Even if it was in shit circumstances.”

John laughed, hugging Alex closer to him. “I’m glad I met you too, Hamilton.”


	16. The Morning The Package Arrived

Alex had never really woken up early for solstice. He supposed he had seen it in movies, kids waking up early on Christmas morning to run downstairs and open their presents, but he just thought it was some American lie, like pep rallies or prescription drug ads. He was wrong of course. He only had himself to blame. He should’ve remembered that everything in mainland America is weird.

“Come, Alex, wake up.”

Alex groaned, pulling a pillow over his head. “It’s too early, and that’s coming from  _ me _ .”

“I know, I know. But come on. I bet my mom’s already got breakfast made, and she makes a big pot of coffee on Christmas, and-”

“Coffee?” Alex pulled the pillow off his head. “Is it good?”

“She gets it from the Dominican Republic.”

It took about a minute for Alex to get dressed and get downstairs. He followed his nose to the aroma of the coffee pot. He watched the dark substance flow from the top, filling up the chipped glass coffee pot. He rested his chin on the counter, watching and sighing dreamily. He felt like he had just seen the love of his life.

“Good morning, Alexander,” Elanor mused, coming into the kitchen. “John mentioned you like coffee.”

“Love it,” Alex sighed. “He said you got yours from the Dominican?”

“Yes, I usually get Folgers, but around Christmas, I get a treat. None of my children like it, but I do.”

“The coffee on my island was amazing,” Alex started, standing up straight and looking to Elanor. “Not a day goes by when I don’t think of it.”

“Where exactly in the Caribbean did you come from?” Elanor asked, pulling the coffee pot out and pouring Alex a glass.

“Nevis, a small island just south of Puerto Rico. Did your family come from there?”

“Yes, but we were pure-blooded Puerto Ricans. Our family goes back as far as records will go. We’re a big family too.”

“Yeah, my family ain’t. Small, a bit dysfunctional, it was really only me, my mother, and my teacher for most of my life.”

“You have no abuela?” Elanor asked, sipping her coffee.

“No.”

“Aye, I wish I had known sooner. I would’ve brought my mother up. Always gets on me-” Elanor pulled a pan of something out of the oven. “She tells me I have not had enough children. Five! Five children, and still not enough!” She shook her head. “She would have loved to meet you, would’ve spoiled you, fed you until you were nice and fat. She almost bites my head off every time she sees John.”

“Not my fault I’m skinny.”

“You’re right, to your abuela though, it’s  _ my  _ fault.” Elanor smiled, then called out into the living room. “¡Hora del desayuno!”

The rest of John’s siblings came running in, sitting at the table as Elanor filled their bowls with grits, giving John an extra scoop and saying something about not wanting her mother to yell at her. 

“These are real southern grits. My momma makes them the best.”

“The trick is,” Elanor started, sitting down. “A little bit of jalapeno and a little bit of chili. Gives it that extra kick. Not too much though, so you can still taste the cheese.”

Alex took a bite, then groaned. “God, it’s amazing. This is so good.”

Elanor smiled. “Now, was everyone good this year? I sure hope Santa got you everything you wanted.”

“I was good!” Henry yelled.

“I was better!” James shouted.

“Inside voices,” John reminded.

“You’re not our mom,” Henry and James mocked in unison.

“Listen to your brother,” Elanor stated.

“Ma!” Both of them whined at the same time.

“Eat your breakfast. Sooner you eat, sooner we can open presents.”

John took a big spoonful of his grits, patting Alex’s thigh. “Alex has never celebrated Christmas.”

“Oh, chico, do you celebrate Hanukkah?”

“No, no.” Alex smiled a bit. “My people, we celebrate the winter solstice. It’s a whole like, it’s a ritual and requires all these things and stuff like that.”

“Well, bebito, was there anything we could’ve done to help you celebrate?”

“Oh, John took me to the ocean. I know that sounds crazy, but that’s where we celebrate. I got to swim for a little bit, reconnect with our goddess, Atabey.”

“You went swimming?” Elanor gasped.

“It’s cold!” Martha exclaimed.

“I spelled myself warm.”

“Oh, yeah, he can do magic without a wand,” John pointed out.

“Hijo, don’t be silly.”

“Show them,” John urged.

“What do you want me to do?” Alex asked. “I’m not some show pony.”

“Make my spoon and fork dance together.”

Alex sighed, smiling at John, then blinked. The utensils became sentient and the spoon bowed to the fork before they began to dance together. They were doing what looked like an Irish folk dance, spinning and skipping. Alex blinked again and they collapsed, just before they leaped into the grits.

“How do you do that?” Elanor asked, her eyes wide and a smile on her lips.

Alex shrugged a bit. “It’s just the only way I learned. My teacher, he never even gave me a wand. I just had to learn without one. I mean, I started from a really young age, so I don’t remember how long it took me to figure it out, but when I did, it wasn’t hard anymore.”

“So how long have you been practicing magic?”

“Since I was four, I think.”

“Four? That’s young.”

“Yeah, well, my teacher started me young, because he also wanted to give me a proper muggle education as well, math, science, lit, all that stuff.”

“Hm.” Elanor nodded. “That’s quite interesting.”

“Yeah, it was fun. And on class days, I would always have an hour or so to surf, get some exercise.”

“Oh, you surf?”

“Yes, I love it. I grew up right on the ocean, and well, my people, we kind of worship the ocean, so it’s a big part of my life.”

Elanor smiled. “That’s very nice.” 

“Ma!” James called out.

“We’re done!” Henry continued.

“Presents?” They both pleaded at the same time.

“Aye, alright, is everyone done?”

John shoveled a few more bites into his mouth. “Yes, Ma, we’re done.”

“I’m not!” Mary’s little voice complained.

“We gotta wait for Mary,” Elanor decided.

“Ugh!” Martha groaned. “She never eats her entire plate. We’re gonna be here for  _ hours _ .”

“Martha, be nice,” John warned.

Mary took a slow bite of her grits.

“Mom!” James and Henry.

It took another ten minutes for Mary to be done, and then everyone moved to the living room. Alex was a bit in awe at the present frenzy all the kids, including John, went into. He sat criss-cross on the couch, creasing his brows as wrapping paper flew through the air. Gifts were exchanged for certain holidays he supposed, but nothing like this. Generally, things were either unwrapped or just put in a simple bag. It was a small affair too. Nothing like this.

“Please excuse the animals that my children have become,” Elanor joked, smiling at Alex. 

“Oh, it’s alright.” 

Elanor stood up and handed Alex a gift, wrapped in shiny green paper. “I have something for you, Alexander.”

“Oh, God, I didn’t… Elanor, this is too much,” Alex gasped.

“Bah, I always get something for our house guest. Please, open it.”

Alex smiled gratefully, before carefully unwrapping it. Inside was a pine green sweater, with a light grey ‘A’ on it, for Alex one could easily assume.

“I know you probably have no opportunities to wear it down in Nevis, but I figured while you are in England, you will need it.”

“I don’t even know what to say.” Alex looked up at Elanor, trying not to tear up. “Thank you, so much.”

Elanor smiled, putting her arm around Alex and giving him a gentle hug. “Of course.”

John got through his presents and pushed himself up on the couch next to Alex, planting a kiss on his cheek. “Happy Christmas.”

“Happy Christmas.” Alex tilted his head a bit. “You get everything you want?”

“You being here was already everything I wanted.” John smiled cheekily. “And I got some socks, which was dope.”

“Yeah, dope.”

“Hey, so, tonight, we have a big ol’ dinner, but then me and my friends are gonna go drink moonshine on the beach, have a fire pit. Mitch always brings a boom box, so we can play some music. Does that sound fun to you?”

“It sounds fucking awesome.”

“Great, then let’s do that tonight.”

About an hour went by, and the family had calmed down, just talking about the things they got, when an owl flew right into their window, then fell into the bushes.

“John, will you get it?” Elanor sighed. “Our owl is one stitch away from a ball of yarn.”

Alex, truthfully, didn’t know exactly what she meant, but he figured the owl was just old or dumb.

“Who’s it for?” James asked, seeing that there was a package.

“Uh…” John flipped over the name tag. “Alex, actually.”

“Alex? Like, me Alex?”

John nodded, handing the package over. “Yeah, you Alex.”

“Huh, that’s weird.”

“Is it from your island?” Elanor asked.

“No, we don’t celebrate Christmas, also, they would have no reason to send me things.” Alex creased his eyebrows.

“Let me check to make sure it’s safe.” Elanor pulled out her wand and waved it over the box, mumbling a few things. Nothing happened, so she shrugged and looked at Alex. “Well, it’s not cursed or anything like that.”

Alex sat down and peeled back the brown paper. Inside were two books, as well as a letter on top. Alex was quick to open the letter, hoping it would give him some clarity. “To my respected student,” he read aloud. “It’s from my teacher.”

“Your… teacher. The one in Azkaban. How did he get a letter and books to you?”

“I dunno, magic.” Alex smiled, then began to read the letter. 

‘ _ To my respected student, _

_ Happy Solstice. I fear you will not get this until a few days later, I apologize. The postal service in my current location is sub-par at best. I know, all too well regrettably, that your location for such a time is not where you would like it to be. I do wish things were different, but please do not fret, this will be the last time it is like this. _

_ My return is imminent, dear boy, and I would like to request you be ready to continue your studies with me in the next two months, at the very most. I trust you will handle this information with discretion and burn this letter once done reading it. _

_ I miss you very much, Alexander. You are a bright pupil, and teaching you through your life has been more than pleasant. While I could not send them to you, I would like you to read, in addition, Metamorphoses by Ovid, and Orestes by Euripides. There is no academic requirement for these books, but I do believe you are at the age to truly appreciate such writing, and I think the stories themselves would be quite interesting to you. _

_ You are a son to me, Alexander. I love you very much, and will see you very soon. _

_ With the utmost respect, George’ _

Alex took a moment to smile at the letter, before burning it in one blink, watching it go up in flames before completely disappearing, not even leaving ash.

“Well, why’d you do that, honey?” Elanor asked.

“Secrets,” Alex smiled. He looked at the books, which were old and almost falling apart. On The Heavens by Aristotle, and The Sand Reckoner by Archimedes. They had been studying astronomy for his muggle education when all of this happened, so the books made sense. Alex had always liked Aristotle’s writing too, so he was excited to read On The Heavens.

“Did he say anything nice?” John asked.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, just that he missed me. And he suggested a few books. You actually own one of the books he suggested, Orestes.”

“Oh, you can borrow my copy,” John offered. What else did he suggest?”

“Metamorphoses by Ovid.”

“Oh, I loved Ovid,” Elanor smiled. “I read him a lot. Ars Amatoria, The Art Of Love, that was my favorite. Tristia too.”

“I’ve read Fasti and Amores by him, but not Metamorphoses.”

“I think that book is banned in a few schools down here,” Elanor mumbled.

“What? Why?” John asked.

“Aye, the two men in it, they’re a bit more than close.” Elanor shrugged. “It’s the nineties, come on now, some men are more than friends. Ignorance like this is why the AIDS epidemic got so out of hand.” She huffed, standing up. “I hated Regan.”

John smiled, looking at Alex. “My mom was a sixties peace fighter. Raised by hippies.”

“You are raised by a hippie too, John Laurens!” Elanor called out. 

John smiled. “I know, momma.”

“So, what are we doing for the rest of the day?”

“A few Christmas specials on TV, the SNL special, and then early dinner and then we go out to a fire pit and get wasted.”

“How will we get back?”

“I spell my truck.”

Alex smiled brightly. “Really?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ve never spelled a car before.”

“I would let you try on my truck but it’s already almost broken, so…” John tilted his head a bit.

“Yeah, don’t worry, I get it. I wouldn’t trust myself either.”

John smiled. “Hey, I do have a few people I wanna run and say merry Christmas to, you wanna come?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Alright, come on, let’s get dressed.”

Alex wore the sweater Elanor gave him, which was very soft and also very pleasant to wear, then got in John’s truck. It took a second to start up, and John had to hit the dashboard really hard to get the heat to kick on.

“I have a question,” Alex started. “Why don’t you just spell your car so it’s not like, kind of broken?”

“Eh. I work as a mechanic in the summer, I like fixing it myself. I only use magic when I have to, honestly. I like the way some muggle things work.”

Alex nodded. “Where are we going first?”

“There’s this old lady, I rebuilt her car in her garage over a summer, and she became my second abuela. I always go see her when I can.”

Alex smiled, tilting his head. “That’s really sweet.”

“Yeah, she’s this nice old lady. Her house smells like cat pee, so be warned for that. Also, all her furniture is covered in plastic, the floor is pink shag carpeting, and she had about two million little ceramic cherubs all over the place. She’s the best though.”

Alex chuckled. “Alright.”

The house where the old lady, Margaret, lived in was painted bright pink and had about six cats in the front window alone. John pulled into the driveway and got out, walking up to her front door and ringing the doorbell. A woman who was wearing a green robe with her hair high up in curlers answered the door, and instantly smiled when she saw John.

“John, sweet thing, come in, come in.” Margaret took his hand. “Who’s your friend?”

“This is Alex. I just wanted to say Merry Christmas, Margaret. How’s the car?”

“Running smoothly. Let me get you both some snacks for the road.”

“Oh, Margaret, that’s alright!” John gasped, looking like he’d rather not eat what she was going to give them.

“Don’t be silly.” She went into her kitchen and came back with two meatballs. Now, the idea that she was giving two boys meatballs was weird, but it got weirder when Alex realized that she was holding them with her bare hands.

“Oh, thank you.” John forced a smile and took both of them. 

She smiled, pinching John’s cheek. “Alright, you boys have a good day. I have to get dressed, I have tea with the gals in a few minutes.”

“Goodbye, Margaret,” John smiled.

“Goodbye, it was nice to meet you,” Alex chimed.

“Goodbye, boys.” She waved a bit, watching them leave.

“Meatballs?” Alex whispered quietly to John once the door was closed.

“She’s an old lady. Don’t eat them though. I made the mistake of eating one once, and I don’t know what was in it, but it was not ground beef, I’ll tell you that.”

“Oh, God.”

“She’s real sweet though.” John put the meatballs in the plastic bag in his truck. “She’s just a bit… elderly. Got the coolest car though. This old bug, from like, the sixties. It was real fun to rebuild.” He began to drive again. “Alright, we just gotta stop at my work, and then that’s it.”

“Do you like your work?”

“Yeah, the boss is real nice.” John had to pump the gas a couple of times, then slam on the clutch to get the truck going. “One day, this thing is gonna break.”

“Yeah, how old is it?”

“Eh, thirty-five years, give or take. It was rebuilt about fifteen years ago though, so I don’t why it’s so-” John slammed the car into second. “-ridiculous.”

“Yeah, it just makes no sense,” Alex muttered sarcastically. 

“Thank you.” 

Alex chuckled and shook his head. “I like your little town.”

“Yeah, I mean, the racism is gross, but sometimes it’s pretty nice.”

Alex nodded.

“I’m gonna work on my truck this summer, try and get it functioning again. That’s the coolest part about the mechanic's shop I work in, he always has junkers you can work on or your own truck. I probably gotta change the oil, get new tires, replace the suspension belt, check the torque, stuff like that.”

“You’re really into cars.”

John smiled sheepishly. “They’re really cool, I think. I mean, like, it’s just crazy that they can do all this without magic. Are there no cars down on your island?”

“No, there are. I mean, people own and drive cars, my mother just never owned one, and I didn’t really want one. I mean, it’s so easy to just bike everywhere. We take a cab sometimes on the bigger island, but we don't go to the bigger island all that often.”

“You just like your little island, don’t you?”

Alex nodded, smiling. “Yeah.”

John pulled into a parking lot. “Alright, we’re here. It’s gonna be loud. Music and all.”

“That’s alright.”

The garage was big, with about six cars in different states of repair. Two guys were working under cars, one was hunched over the front of a car, cruising to himself.

“Hey, Joey!” John smiled, coming over and clapping his shoulder.

The man, who was older with white hair, looked up and smiled. “John! Good to see you!”

“Merry Christmas you old bastard.” John pulled Joey into a hug. “Why you working on the holiday?”

“Family time, the boys are with me.” Joey gestured to the two men working on other cars.

John smiled. “Aye, alright.”

“You back?”

“Nah, not until summer, but I graduate this year.”

“I want you thinking about the trade union I told you about. You have a gift, John Laurens.” Joey smiled. “How’s the truck running?”

“Like shit,” John laughed. 

“You oughta get a new one. I don’t underpay you that much.”

John laughed. “I could never get rid of that truck.”

“Then you best get ready to replace almost everything it’s got.”

John smiled, clapping Joey’s shoulder. “Just wanted to stop by, say merry Christmas.”

“Alright, you take care of yourself. Give your mother my love.”

“I will.” John smiled. He and Alex left, getting back into the truck and beginning to drive again. 

“You’re real cute, you know that?” Alex started.

“What? Shut up.” John focused on the road.

“No, you are! You’re so extroverted and shit. It’s actually kind of adorable.”

John smiled, looking down. “Thanks, Alex.”

“Yeah.” Alex looked back at the road, tilting his head a bit. His mind lingered on John for a moment, then moved to his teacher. What his teacher said. ‘ _ My return is imminent _ .’ 


	17. The Way Back To Hogwarts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slow update, I've been working hella, and I've been tired. Thank you for your patience though, kings and queens.

As much as Alex loved spending time with John, he missed Aaron and Maria. He missed Maria’s bold personality, and Aaron’s happy go lucky attitude about everything. So, when they got to station nine and three quarters, Alex said he’d see John later and instantly went to find Maria and Aaron. It was actually quite easy since Maria was sitting on Burr’s shoulders, looking over the crowd for Alex.

“There he is!” Maria yelled, pointing at Alex. She got down from Aaron’s shoulders and the three of them met in the middle, hugging. Alex was grateful to be back with them. 

“How was John’s?” Aaron asked as they began to load up onto the train.

“John’s was good. I learned a lot about redneck culture. How was your break?” Alex asked.

“It was great. I really missed you though. Next year, we’re not doing this crap. We’re just all gonna go to my place, eat like shit and watch crap daytime television.”

Alex smiled and nodded. “Yeah, that sounds awesome.”

The train began to move, and to celebrate their reunion, they bought up a bunch of sweets from the trolley, eating them and talking about break, as well as their own little celebration. Maria decided it should be in the girl’s lavatory, so then they can swim in the tub together and pretend to be at the beach. The conversation, the ride itself, was going well, until…

“Why’s the train stopped?” Maria asked.

Alex peered out the window. “Are we here?”

“Definitely not.” Aaron got up and poked his out of the cart, seeing another kid. “Mate, why’re we stopped?”

“Was about to ask you the same thing.”

Alex looked out the window, trying to see if anything was happening. “I don’t like this.”

“What do you mean?” Maria asked.

“I’m getting a really bad feeling, and considering some of the most powerful wizards are after my head, I would say it’s a feeling I should listen to.”

Maria looked around. “Should you hide?”

“Maybe.” Alex stepped out of the car and began to walk down to the front of the train.

“Wait, hold on, you can’t just go alone!” Maria gasped.

“Maria, don’t follow me.”

“You’re not allowed to be angst king all on your own. Any problem they have with you, they have with me.”

“They want me dead, Mars. I don’t think you quite understand the severity of the situation.”

“Eat ass.”

“So what are we doing?” 

“Aaron!” Alex gasped. “I can’t go almost get myself killed in peace, can I?”

“No, you absolutely cannot.” Maria pulled out her wand. “So, like, what’s the plan?”

“I dunno. Don’t get killed.”

“Great plan, genius,” she remarked sarcastically.

“I came up with it on the spot!” Alex looked back at her. “Can you do any better?”

“Yes. I can cast a cloaking spell over us so we can make it to the front unseen, see what’s going on. If it’s nothing, we just go back. If it’s something, Aaron will go and pull the emergency lever, and teachers from Hogwarts should be here soon.”

“There’s an emergency lever?” Alex muttered. 

“Of course. I’m gonna cloak us, but try to be quiet.”

“Alright, alright.”

Maria cast the spell, and the three of them walked up to the front of the car. The windows in the front car, which was just where the trolleys were stored, were all smashed. There was blood on the floor, but no one was around bleeding. The door to the engineer’s room was open. Alex peeked in, then quickly stepped back, knocking into Maria a bit.

“Where is he?” A loud, wicked voice asked.

“I don’t know!” The conductor choked out.

“Silence!” A voice like a snake cut through the air. “I smell a half-blood.” There was a silence. “Two.”

“We have to leave, now.” Maria’s voice was quiet, filled with fear.

“You go back,” Alex mumbled.

“No. You come too.”

Suddenly the door was pushed open, and a man with no eyebrows or nose looked out. He was so pale, with long fingers. Alex backed up, holding his breath. 

“I smell half-bloods,” the pale man whispered.

Alex, Maria, and Aaron began to back up slowly, back, back, back, and then-

_ Crunch _ .

Alex’s foot crushed the broken glass on the floor.

The entire car fell silent. Maria reached forward and squeezed Alex’s hand. The tension was so thick. And then-

Bam! Purple flame! The pale man slashed it away, and suddenly Lupin was standing between the trio and the pale man. He kept slashing the purple light at them, ruthlessly.

“Confringo!” Maria yelled, pointing at the people in the car.

“Confringo!” Aaron echoed. He pulled Alex back, looking at him. “Go! Go!”

Alex couldn’t even think, he just ran. He ran down the train and then cloaked himself. He eventually stopped between carts and climbed down under the train, spelling his back against the bottom of the train. His nose was about six inches from the tracks. He could hear distant spells, and then he could hear flapping like a million ravens. He closed his eyes and covered his mouth and nose, trying not to say anything. Adrenaline pumped through his body. But all he could do was wait. 

So he waited.

Five minutes went by before he heard Maria’s voice, calling his name. Alex unspelled himself from the train and climbed out onto the platform, where she was. She had a cut on her forehead, blood running down the side of her face. Alex spelled it better.

“Are you okay?” She asked.

“I am not the person we should be worried about. Are you okay?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I just fought some of the most powerful dark wizards right now, so like, I’m more working on coming to mental terms with that. Physically, I’m fine.”

“What about Aaron? Lupin? Did anyone get hurt?”

“Aaron got hexed, but Lupin’s working on him.”

“He got hexed?” Alex pushed past Maria, running back to the front of the cart. Aaron was crying, looking away as Lupin let a shiny liquid fall out of a dropper onto Aaron’s arm, which was absolutely shredded.

“Oh my God.” Alex shook his head, falling to his knees by Aaron’s side. “Are you okay? Oh my God, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.” He took Aaron’s other hand. “It’s okay, it’s okay, you’re going to be alright.”

“I’m fine, don’t worry. It’s not your fault.”

“I told you not to come.”

“I know.” Aaron leaned his head against Alex’s shoulder. “It just really hurts.”

Alex put his other hand on the back of Aaron’s neck and sat with him while Lupin fixed up his arm. The train started moving again, the conductor spelled better and recovered. 

When Aaron’s arm was healed, he sighed, putting on his sweater. “Thank you, professor.”

“Of course, Aaron. It may be sore for a few days, but it will be fine.” Lupin looked at Alex. “I think you and I need to have a word. Maria, will you please escort Aaron back to your car?”

“Yes, professor,” Maria nodded, putting her arm around Aaron and mumbling something about him being a little bitch, though the tone was concerned.

“Now, Alexander,” Lupin started now that they were alone. “You know they were here for you.”

Alex nodded.

“You must have royally pissed them off because the dark lord is now involved.”

“Wait, the dark lord? Who the fuck is the dark lord?”

“He who must not be named.”

Alex sucked in a breath of air, widening his eyes. “Don’t play me like this, Lupin.”

Lupin looked around, then lowered his voice. “Voldemort.”

“That’s a stupid fucking name.”

“Well, you must not say it. Now, if he is taking the time to go after you, you must’ve really fucked up. What did you do?”

“Maybe he’s just pissed that one of his evil minions is now related to an indigenous brown kid. This could just be racism.”

“It’s not.”

“Says who? Maybe Voldemort is just racist.”

“Don’t say his name.” Lupin sighed. “Look, Dumbledore needs to be informed that the threat to your safety is much higher than we thought.”

“Will George be okay?” Alex asked.

“He will. They aren’t after him, they’re after you.”

Alex nodded.

“Go to your friends, I will contact a few people.”

Alex nodded, then left, finding Maria and Aaron in their car. Without thinking, he spelled Aaron’s arm to feel better, then sat down. “I’m so sorry, guys.”

“It’s not your fault,” Maria stated.

“I kinda put you in that situation.”

“Yes, you said ‘stay here’ and I said ‘fuck you’ and then Aaron came along too, so it is your fault.” Maria punched Alex’s shoulder. “Don’t pull that pathetic shit with me. It’s not our fault at all. You were just living your damn life and the evilest wizards in the wizarding world tried to kill you. That’s literally on them.”

“I’m still sorry.”

“I know.” Maria patted Aaron’s hand. 

Aaron was still crying a bit.

“Does it hurt?” Alex asked.

Aaron shook his head.

“He’s just a bit shaken up.” Maria sighed. “Wow, what a way to start the second semester.”

“Let’s just get to school and, I dunno, have a group cuddle on Maria’s bed,” Alex suggested.

“Yes.” Maria smiled. “I missed you, Alex. It’s nice to have my boys back together.”

“Your boys,” Aaron mocked, wiping his cheeks.

“My boys.” Maria kissing the side of Aaron’s head. “Come on, kiddo, you’re alright. It’s okay.”

“I know, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Maria coaxed. “It’s okay, I just wanna remind you that you’re okay now. Nothing’s happening.”

“If your arm gets sore again, just tell me. I’ll spell it better,” Alex offered.

“Thank you.”

“Of course.”

“Hey,” Maria started. “We picked up three books for our book club.”

“Really?” Alex smiled.

“Yeah, I think the first one we should do is The Anatomy of a Revolution, by Crane Brinton.”

“God, you have no idea how long that’s been on my to-read list,” Alex chuckled.

“Mine too.” Maria opened up a chocolate bar and handed it to Aaron. “It’ll help.” 

Aaron took a small bite of it, then nodded. “Thank you.”

The trio jumped when the door was ripped open, but it was only a very frazzled John. “Oh my God, are you guys okay? The train stops, and then there are all these explosions, and then like, seven death eaters fly past the window!”

“We’re alright. They just tried to kill Alex, and just about took Aaron’s arm off, but other than that, we’re cool.”

John’s brows creased. “Are you okay? I have some Aleve.”

“Alex spelled it so it didn’t hurt. Thank you though.”

John nodded. “Are you okay, Alex?”

Alex nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

“Alright, good.” John shifted on his feet, then leaned down and kissed the top of Alex’s head. “You stay safe. Don’t go dying on me. My mom loves you, I don’t want to tell her that you fell into the clutches of some wicked bitch.”

“Must your insults fall into the category of casual misogyny?”

“Sorry, Maria.” John smiled. “Alright, I’ll leave you guys alone.” He waved a bit. “Bye.”

“Bye, John,” Alex nodded.

“You two seem close.”

“We did just spend two and a half weeks sharing a bed.”

“You  _ shared  _ a  _ bed _ ?” Maria wiggled her eyebrows. “Did you fuck?”

“I guess. We gave each other head.”

“Was he any good?”

Alex nodded. “Real fuckin’ good, dude. Like, had me shaking. Head game was so fuckin’ disrespectful. Like, he didn’t even pause when I came.”

“You know that means his pegging game is bomb as fuck.”

“God, I’d love for him to strap me.” Alex smiled.

They talked about sex and philosophy for the rest of the train ride and were happy to finally get to the Slytherin common room. They changed into some comfortable clothes and curled up on Maria’s bed together. Alex had begun reading On The Heavens by Aristotle, Maria was reading The Price Of Salt, and Aaron had chosen to get a headstart on The Anatomy Of A Revolution. 

“I really missed you guys,” Alex mumbled, setting his book on his chest. 

“Missed you too.” Maria nudged Alex’s leg with her own.

“Should we have our own celebration tonight? For the holiday?”

“Yeah, sure.” Maria sighed. “Alex, I just want you to know, that if you die, I will throw you into a trash can.”

“If I die, you’re going to throw my corpse into a trash can.”

“Yeah, for being such a trash friend.”

Aaron snorted.

“So wait, if I get killed by evil wizards, you are going to throw my corpse into a trash can, because I’m being a bad friend?”

“Absolutely.” Maria looked at Alex. “That would be absolutely on you.”

“Oh, well, then I should probably do my best not to get killed.” Alex smiled a bit, putting down his book and closing his eyes. “Almost dying, it’s exhausting.”

Maria chuckled. “Take a nap, I’ll wake you in an hour.”

“Alright, cool.”

Maria did hold true to her promise, and an hour later she had shaken Alex awake, announcing it was time to go to the girl’s lavatory. Alex grabbed his swim trunks and the gifts he had gotten for Aaron and Maria, and the trio made their way through the school and to the lavatory. Maria turned on the water to the tub, and while they wanted for it to fill up, they began to exchange presents.

“Alright, Aaron, you first,” Maria started, handing him a present.

Alex smiled, handing Aaron the present he got for him as well.

“If any of these jump out at me, I will leave.”

“Three years ago!” Maria exclaimed. “I play one little prank on you three years ago and you’re still not over it!”

Alex laughed, nudging Aaron. “Mine won’t jump at you.”

“Alright, then I’m opening yours.” Aaron peeled back the wrapping paper, which was only there thanks to John, and smiled. “VHS of Pretty Woman, and a cassette by…” He peered at it. “Oh, The Fugees?”

“I got my own cassette of theirs, since they looked interesting, and the moment I heard it, I knew you would like it. I had to get you your own. You’ll love it, I promise.”

“Alright, I’m intrigued. I can’t wait.” Aaron smiled. “Your turn, Maria.” He picked up the box she had very poorly wrapped. “I can always tell what’s from you because you can’t wrap presents for shit.”

Maria laughed. “Well, God knew if He made me entirely perfect, it would be too much for the world. I have to have  _ one  _ flaw.”

“One flaw,” Aaron mocked. “Alright, let’s see what this is.” He opened the box, then smiled, pulling out a fedora and smiling, putting it on. “It’s perfect.”

“How do you pull off a fedora?” Alex asked, a bit in awe.

“He’s just like that. You should see him, he’s a jazz dancer, he gets all dolled up in sequins, a fedora, a cane. He looks very dapper.”

“Oh, God, I have to see that one day.”

Aaron laughed. “Maria, your turn.” He handed her a gift. “I had very little time and money, be warned.”

“I had time, but no money,” Alex chuckled. 

“If I get two fuckin’ homemade coupon books from you guys, I swear to God-”

“It’s not that,” Alex quickly cut it. “At least, mine isn’t.”

“Mine isn’t either. Those take a lot of time.”

Maria opened her gift from Aaron, then looked up at him. “What is this?”

“Well, would you open it?” Aaron huffed.

Maria pulled out a book, and opened it, then smiled. “Is this the newspaper clipping from my-”

“First act of anarchism? Yes.” Aaron smiled.

Alex leaned over to see a clipping of a report of vandalism on the ministry building. Big red letters that read ‘Free all elves, abolish modern slavery!’

“Oh my God,” Maria mumbled, flipping through the book. “You saved all these?”

“Yeah, I did. It’s your last year, so I thought I’d give you this, so when you’re out of the school and committing acts of justice, you remember how far you’ve come.”

“Shit.” Maria shook her head. “Thank you, Aaron.”

Aaron smiled wide. “Of course.”

“Well, Aaron’s present wins. We can all go home now,” Alex joked. 

“Bah, come on, I wanna see what you got me.” Maria opened up the box, then smiled. “Cassettes.” She pulled them out. “Songs To Fan The Flames of Discontent, Rebel Voices, and Fellow Workers.”

“It’s protest music, pro-union, by the Industrial Workers of the World. A lot to do with claiming the means of production, down with the bosses. I dunno, I was listening to it in South Carolina, knew you’d like it.”

Maria smiled, nodding. “This is awesome. No, I love this. This is great. Both of you guys, you literally know me so well.”

Aaron and Alex smiled big. 

“Alright, Alex, your turn.” Maria and Aaron handed Alex their gifts to him, and Alex started with Aaron’s.

“Will this jump out at me?” Alex asked, chuckling.

“No, unless you open it like a psycho.”

“Anything jumps out at you if you open it the wrong way,” Maria pointed out.

“That is true” Alex opened up Aaron’s gift, then smiled brightly. “Is this a sand globe?”

Aaron nodded.

Alex shook it, watching the sand in the water fall. It was a beach scene, with the sun painted on the backdrop.

“I know it’s totally nerdy, but I saw it and instantly thought of you.”

“No, I literally love this.” Alex smiled. “This is perfect. I'm gonna put it on my nightstand.”

“Alright, open mine, open mine.” Maria smiled, pushing her gift towards Alex.

Alex opened it up, then gasped. “Kopi luwak coffee? You’re kidding. How’d you get this?”

“I have a hookup. I know you like coffee, so I thought I’d get you the weirdest kind I could find, which is made from monkey poop.”

“Wait, what?” Aaron asked.

“It’s not made from poop, it’s just that the beans are picked out of the poop,” Alex explained.

“That does not make it any better. You know that, right?” Aaron asked softly.

“They’re sterilized! It’s a really good coffee. Popular in Vietnam I think. Anyway, it’s really good. I love it.” Alex nodded. “Thank you, Mars. This is awesome.”

“Of course.” She got up and turned off the water. “Come on, let’s go swimming.” 

“Yes!” Aaron smiled. “I’m getting cold.”

“Me too,” Alex chuckled.

The trio got into the tub, splashing each other and laughing, floating on their backs, and talking about whatever they wanted to talk about. Perhaps impending doom was in the back of their minds, with all evil wizards trying to kill them, but they didn’t think about it too much. Because they were together, and that was what mattered. 


	18. The First Quidditch Match Of The Season

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it has been so long since I updated, college classes just started, and I've been working and going to school, shit's wild.

The day after Alex arrived back, he, Dumbledore, Lupin, and the minister had a conversation about the warrant on his head. Now, Alex wasn’t allowed off of school grounds unless there was a teacher there. Quidditch games were alright, Hagrid’s hut was fine, but the lake was no longer an option. It wasn’t that much of a loss though, it was mostly frozen now, with not that much water that was accessible, so Alex didn’t weep for the loss of the lake all that much. 

He supposed his ever-impending death was something that he should be thinking about, but he gave himself the opportunity to participate in willful ignorance, and instead focused on other things. That specific day, instead of pondering how to defeat the darkest wizards in the wizarding world, he was huddled up with Maria in the Slytherin section of the quidditch stands, his gloved hand holding a little Slytherin flag.

“So, wait, how does this start?”

“Well, they release the snitch, then the bludgers, then the quaffle,” Maria explained. 

“Which one is the quidditch?”

“The what?”

“Like, is there a ball called quidditch?”

Maria gave Alex an odd look. “What in the Goddamn hell are you talking about?”

“Well, sports are named after the ball. Baseball, football, soccer-”

“What the fuck is soccer?”

“You know, with the white ball that you kick?”

“Bitch that’s football. It’s why you kick it with your foot.” She shook her head. “Wait, what do  _ you  _ think football is?”

“It’s with the brown egg ball, and then carry it to the end of the field-”

“They don’t even kick it? Why’s it called football then?” Maria gasped.

“They kick it sometimes!”

“So they call  _ that  _ football, as opposed to the sport where they can  _ only kick it _ ? You know what, it’s good that America left Britain because that’s some straight-up bullshit.”

Alex paused. “So there’s no quidditch ball?”

“No there’s no quidditch ball!”

The game started and Alex was utterly confused the entire time, but he clapped when Maria clapped and booed when Maria booed. Slytherin and Gryffindor were playing, two rivals, apparently. Alex watched John and Laf play for their team, Aaron play for his. Even if he had no idea what was happening, it was pretty interesting just to watch. People were flying everywhere, and some of the tricks they did on brooms were actually pretty cool. 

Alex had never ridden a broom before, and he didn’t really want to but watching Aaron and John do it was fun. He cheered and booed with Maria, jumping up and down when Slytherin would make a goal, cursing out bad calls. It was like what Alex heard hockey games were. 

The Slytherin stands went ape shit when they won. Maria put a first-year in a headlock and screamed. Aaron hung from his broom by his legs, cheering and holding the quaffle.

When they met him downstairs, Maria put him on her shoulders and they all chanted with the rest of the team, screaming and cheering. The first game of the season was theirs. Their seeker, James Madison, was on the shoulders of Thomas Jefferson, a chaser. They were freaking out, cheering, and yelling, pouring water on each other. The party didn’t stop all the way to the dorm, the whole Slytherin house yelling and screaming.

Someone got out some champagne, and it went everywhere. Everyone was soaked, no one knew what was going on, someone was blasting The Ramones on the record player. People were absolutely losing it. It was the most fun Alex had had in months. They all danced and screamed, tossing shit and wrecking the common-room.

It went on for two hours, and then people started to pass out. Aaron and Maria fell asleep together on the floor, and everyone had generally calmed down, so Alex changed out of his clothes and washed the champagne out of his hair, deciding to go find John. He wandered around the castle for a bit, going generally unseen since he wasn’t being particularly interesting, and a lot of the drama around him had blown over.

When he got closer to the Gryffindor dorm, he began to try and make the telepathic connection, calling John’s name and telling him he was outside the dorm. It took a few minutes, but John opened up the door to the dorm and stepped out, smiling at Alex. He had changed into a sweater and jeans, no longer in the actually quite handsome Gryffindor quidditch uniform. 

“Hey, loser.”

John laughed. “First game means nothing. Just you wait. We’ll kick your ass by the end of the year.”

The two of them sat down on the steps together, watching other kids go about their day. They were quiet, neither of them supposing they knew what to say. Alex leaned a bit against John, smiling and thinking.

“Where do you think you’re going to go after Hogwarts? Like, state-wise, or country wise.”

“I have no idea,” John admitted.

“Well, you can always move, you can always change your mind once you get somewhere.”

“Guess so.” John sighed lightly. “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t a wizard.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. You know?”

“Not really, but I was educated completely different from you, without all this.” Alex waved his hand vaguely.

“Yeah, that’s true.” John sighed. “You wanna go hang out in my secret bunker?”

“Yeah, actually I do.”

They made it down there quickly, John laughing a bit at Alex for the smell of champagne in his hair. Alex just rolled his eyes and smiled, since he knew John didn’t mean any harm. When they did get there though, Alex spelled them some tea, and John got out some crisps, which were just past the point of freshness, and both of them leaned back in the cot, sighing to themselves.

“My mother does really like you,” John mentioned.

“I think she’s great,” Alex chuckled. “She really is.”

John smiled sheepishly. “I don’t really know what to do for this last semester, not really at least. I mean, what is there to do?”

“Schoolwork, quidditch, make out,” Alex listed, looking up at the ceiling.

“What are you going to do after school ends?”

“I’m gonna go home.” Alex shrugged. “I mean, everything I need is there. Gonna get certified to teach surfing, and then that’s what I’ll do.” 

John nodded. “Will you miss your teacher?”

For a moment, Alex considered telling John what his teacher told him, but decided against it. “Of course I will. But I’ll have other people with me. I won’t be alone. I miss my people, I miss our celebrations, our community.”

John nodded.

“And I mean, don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of things here that I’ve really grown to love, mostly my friends, I hate the UK, but like, no matter how much fun I’m having, I still resent being here, I still resent this school, because there was no choice in the matter for me. A government I didn’t even know about took me from my home, from my people, and forced me into an entirely different country, an entirely different school. Hell, I couldn’t even go home for holiday. They don’t… it’s just so frustrating.”

John nodded thoughtfully. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”

“It’s alright. Not your fault.” Alex sighed. “Just pisses me off, thinking about it.”

John looked over at Alex, then gently touched his thigh. “Few more months.”

“That’s the craziest part,” Alex chuckled. “This is all almost over, and I’m almost gonna miss it. Actually, no, fuck this school, but you, Mars, and Aaron, shit. You guys are my friends. I don’t wanna leave you.”

“Yeah, I’m really gonna miss you.”

“Well, you know, there’s always room for you on my island.”

“And there’s always room for you at my house.” John rested his head on Alex’s shoulder.

The two of them stayed there for a long time, sitting in silence and just being with each other. It was only when Alex started to get tired that they both got up, leaving the bunker and going their separate ways. 

When Alex got back to the Slytherin dorms, they had been sort of cleaned up, and most people had made their way into the dorms. Alex picked up a half-eaten package of chips and munched on them as he walked back into his dorm. Aaron was on Alex’s bed, reading through The Anatomy Of A Revolution. Alex sat down perpendicular from Aaron and put his legs over his back, picking up his book and reading.

“What do you want to do tomorrow after classes?” Alex muttered, setting his book down on his chest.

“God, I don’t know. How about… we could… uh, I dunno. Maria probably knows.”

“January and February, I hate these months. Even on my island, it just always feels like a lull, a productive lull.”

“Yeah, honestly.” Aaron looked over at Alex. “We could just skip classes.”

“Oh yeah?” Alex smiled.

“Yeah. We could skip. Leave the grounds, go to the nearest town, and-”

“I can’t. I can’t leave the grounds.”

Aaron raised a brow. “Why not?”

“People are trying to kill me. Is there anywhere else?” 

“We could sit in the back of The Three Broomsticks, drink butterbeer and talk politics and philosophy. Are there any books you want to talk about?”

“Psh, all of them.”

“Then let’s talk about all of them.”

Alex smiled. “You wanna sleep in my bed tonight? I’m lonely.”

“Yeah, that was already the plan, since I’m already here.” Aaron sat up and threw his robe onto the floor, getting under the covers next to Alex. “I’m a snuggler, so you’re gonna wake up in my arms.”

“That’s how I want to wake up every day,” Alex joked.

Aaron smiled and sighed, putting his arms behind his head. “I’m ready to do something with this life.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Aaron looked over at Alex. “Sick of living like this.”

“Aren’t we all?” Alex laughed, putting his book on the nightstand and taking his meds. “Hey, how about, this summer, you and Maria come down to my island. We can hang out and get tanked and eat jerk chicken.”

“Mm, that shit, I love that.” Aaron sighed. “What do you think about Rio?”

“I like it, but it’s very poverty-stricken down there. It’s just… I mean, I think tourists don’t really see that all, but like, Jamaica? What you see on a brochure and what you see when you’re really in Jamaica, it’s two completely different things. But there’s also a lot of love. It’s just sadness, and love, and more sadness, and more love. I don’t know. I don’t know how to describe it really. Why?”

“I dunno.” Aaron shrugged. “Just thinking about places to live.”

“Well, I mean, anywhere down there is beautiful, you just gotta find work real quick.”

“Are there any magical communities in South America?”

“Ecuador and the Galapagos are big hotspots. Quito? God, they don’t even try to hide it around there. Peru, they have some pretty big magical communities. Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama, they have a lot of magic. You’d have to learn how to speak Spanish though. I mean, people down there also speak English, but Spanish is like, the main language, and you’re gonna miss out on some funny jokes.”

“I could do that.”

“You thinking of living down there?”

Aaron shrugged. “I think I should explore all of my options. I mean, I dunno.”

Alex looked over at Aaron and smiled. “Well, whatever you do, you’re gonna have to come down there anywhere, to visit me.”

“Yeah, that is true.” He sighed a bit, looking over at Alex. “I’m really glad you’re my friend.”

“I’m really glad you’re my friend too.”

“Goodnight, Alex.”

Alex smiled a bit, then closed his eyes. “Goodnight, Aaron.”

They woke up the next morning and made their way out into the dorm, where Maria was reading and waiting for them. Alex and Aaron sat on either side of her, smiling like they were up to no good, which they were.

“What are you two thinking?” Maria mumbled, barely even glancing up from her book.

“Well, we were thinking, that because, you know, classes are stupid and we are automatically smarter than everyone here, we could maybe hang out somewhere all day instead of going.”

Maria smiled, dog-earring her book and setting it down. “And what would we do all day instead of going to classes?”

“Discuss politics, read books, drink coffee, and tea.” Aaron smiled at her. “Yes?”

Maria stood up, turning to the two boys. “Alright, yeah, that sounds nice.”

The three of them hid out in the dorm rooms, waiting for Snape to do his look over to make sure no one was skipping, before joining each other at Maria’s bed and pulling out an array of books, notes, and philosophies.

“Alright, I have a question,” Alex started. “Voltaire’s work Candide is based on Utopia, by Thomas Moore, which is based on The Republic by Plato. My question is, does Eldorado in Candide have the same system as The Republic? And how  _ does  _ More's Utopia tie into Candide? And what are the influences of The Republic in Utopia?”

“Well, I don’t think that Eldorado is described in-depth enough for any of us to truly know,” Maria started. 

“Well, on the contrary,” Aaron began. “I mean, we not only met a ruler but creators in Eldorado.”

“No, those were scientists. Thinkers. In Plato’s Republic, there are three groups, the creators, the rulers, and those who enforce the rulers’ law. But in Eldorado, there was no need for crime because everyone was taken care of, and the rulers were fair.” Maria thought for a moment. “I mean, I think there are similarities, but I think Voltaire was stating his disagreement with Plato’s work, because he wrote Eldorado to be the perfect society, and it differed from The Republic.”

“Well, I don’t think Voltaire disagreed with Plato, per se, but I do think he saw cracks in Plato’s plan. Of course, this ties back to More’s Utopia, when they talk about how even a utopia will be seen as crazy to those who aren’t used to it, to those who came from somewhere else.” Alex picked up Utopia, flipping through it absentmindedly. “I mean, Voltaire thought Plato’s Republic was odd, and not the perfect society, and then even Candide thought Eldorado was strange, despite it being literally perfect.”

“But of course, that only applies if you believe that Eldorado was perfect,” Maria pointed out.

Aaron laughed. “Do you not?”

“Well, not exactly. I don’t agree with the idea that you need endless riches to have a perfect society. They would just be worthless. I mean, why do the people in Eldorado even apply worth to gold?”

“Well, they didn’t.”

“But at the same time they did.”

Aaron perked up. “Well, I think Maria is right almost. See, if Eldorado was real, and there was gold lining the streets, it would probably have the same worth to them as concrete has to us, but this was Voltaire writing this from a land, no, a continent, where the fight for gold was so intense, and this was just after Spain’s economic collapse from the flooding of gold from the Americas. Obviously, he applied a lot of worth to gold, more than we do, because that was the currency. So he wrote Eldorado with an opinion. It was biased for sure, but you also have to wonder what Eldorado  _ did  _ use for currency.”

“Well, who says a perfect society would have a currency?” Alex started. “I mean, the very idea that we have to pay for things that we need, food, water, housing, it just proves that our system in itself is flawed.”

“Well, it all depends on the conditioning of the person. I mean, I don’t think you could put an American in a currency-less society, because they’ve been conditioned to know that their money is their worth. I mean, I think that’s also the same with people around the world. Money really does mean something, and if we were to start a perfect society, we would have to quickly reproduce to make a new generation and leave them completely untainted from the idea of money, capitalism, and your worth being connected to it.” Maria hummed.

“I think that does all lead back to Utopia’s connection with The Republic, or its influences at least,” Alex pointed out. “I mean, The Republic, it was about what Plato thought the perfect society would be, while Utopia talked more about reactions to the perfect society, which makes you think, perhaps Moore thought of The Republic the same way Moore’s character’s thought of a utopia.”

“I think it is a question of whether or not society would accept a perfect society.”

“Well, no. See, this imperfect society has created so much greed and evil among people that anything different would be seen as a threat. It’s why the rich don’t want to raise taxes. Even if it meant everyone in the world would be happy and healthy, they wouldn’t, because corporate propaganda is just so ingrained in their heads.”

“I don’t think we can excuse ourselves from such thoughts too. I mean, I don’t think our transition into a perfect society would be easy. It’s kind of like how racism is ingrained in our thoughts from the day we’re born until the day we die, and it’s just, I mean, the only way we could truly no longer hold racist thoughts, internalized racism included, is if we lived in a society where there truly was no such thing as racism.” Maria paused. “I mean, like, we would have trouble transitioning into a place such as Eldorado, or something similar, maybe not as much as the mega-rich, but to a point, yes.”

Aaron nodded. “But of course, aren’t we sort of just reenacting Utopia right now? I mean, we are not planning out a perfect society, we are not in a perfect society, we are simply speaking on it.”

“Well, I think that was the point of Utopia. Starting conversation I mean.”

“You could say the same thing about Candide and Republic,” Maria pointed out.

“You could say the same thing about most great works of literature and satire,” Alex continued.

“You think these three works are satire?” Aaron asked.

“Well, not The Republic, but Utopia, in its own sense, yes, and Candide, well, if you didn’t think Candide was satire, then you haven’t read Candide.”

Aaron laughed. “Yeah, that shit is very clearly satire, you’re right.”

“You know,” Maria started. “Some kids talk about sex.”

“We’re basically talking about sex. Utopia and The Republic fucked and made Candide.”

“Well, I mean, I don’t think those two works alone inspired Candide. You look back through Voltaire’s life, and you see him facing the ramifications of the actions he mocks in Candide, and also, I mean, he grew up in a political environment that was about thirty years away from blowing like a powder keg.”

“God, France.” Alex shook his head. “I do love their revolutions.”

“I think France in itself is very advanced and very set back. I mean, I don’t think they're more set back than the rest of us, but I do their advancements come from the fact that they aren’t afraid to protest, unionize, and fuck some shit up,” Maria began. “Obviously, they aren’t perfect, they aren’t by any means, but they do generally have progressive ideas. I think that’s one of the main problems with America, that propaganda is just so infused in daily life, that working-class people reject unions.”

“Well, the issue in America is the education system,” Alex pointed out. “Any good education costs money, and most of the time, underfunded schools lay in black communities, which means a poorer education for those who truly need a revolution in America.”

“Well, you could also say the issue is the economic system,” Aaron brought up. “A lack of taxing on the rich has left the working class with drained pockets so you guys can go steal oil from poor brown countries.”

“I think the real issue is that you guys think you’re a whole ass country after one revolution,” Maria laughed. “I mean, I’m sorry, do you know how many revolutions it took Europe to get to where it is? And we’re  _ still  _ seeking improvement. America isn’t special. They need reform, rewriting, rethinking. A totally systematic change.”

“Nationalism and propaganda convince people not to demand it though,” Alex stated. “Which is why we need better education. Which can’t be done without taxing the rich, which won’t happen without reform, which won’t be requested because of poor education.”

Maria bit her lip. “I mean, I think education in itself really went down once the idea of the renaissance man stopped being relevant.”

The group spoke on a large expanse of topics for the rest of the day, thinking hard and searching through books to find their own evidence to back up their own quotes. It was intellectually stimulating for all of them, much better than whatever information they would’ve attained in potions or astrology. 

They spoke for so long that they missed dinner, and Alex had to spell up some food for the three of them. They didn’t mind though. They were happy. It was a happy moment before all Hell broke loose, and it was exactly what they needed.


	19. The Great Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since there aren't that many more chapters to write in this, I was thinking zombie apocalypse au next? I have an idea and everything.

“Hey,” Alex whispered softly as the door to the Gryffindor dorm opened up. 

John rubbed his eyes. “Hey.”

“Come on, come with me.” Alex tugged on John’s robe. “Come on, John.”

“Do I need to get dressed?”

Alex shrugged a bit. “I mean, you could, but it would be counter-productive.”

John’s smile widened, his head tilting to the side. “Oh, it’s one of those adventures we’re going on?”

“The bathtub in the second-floor girl’s lavatory isn’t much of an adventure, but you could certainly explore between my legs.”

John laughed quietly, closing the door and following Alex through the school. They made it to the lavatory and turned on the faucets, getting undressed and glancing at each other bashfully. They had, technically, seen each other naked, but that was hot and sweaty head in John’s bed back over break. Not this. Getting undressed in front of each other, it felt more intimate, and it made them both bashful and shy, grateful when the water reached their chests and they could both undo their binding spells.

“Can I be weird?” Alex asked, scooting next to John and looking at the stained glass in the bathroom.

“Sure.”

“I like your tits.”

John threw his head back, laughing. “What?”

“What? I like them. I mean, like, I won’t be sad when they go because I know that’ll make you happy, but for now, I like them. I mean, they’re like… they’re perky and cute. I mean, you could have worse tits.”

“Whatever, dude.” John smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of Alex’s head and sighing. “Have you ever been in a relationship?”

“Why?”

“I dunno, you just said when we started being casual that you were generally casual with people, have you ever not been casual?”

“Eh, depends on your definition of casual. I’ve been less casual with certain people. I mean, we aren’t my most casual hookup. I’ve been more casual with people. I mean, I guess I’ve never really had a relationship that was like, officially labeled and was like, exclusive. It just has never been attractive to me. I dunno.”

John nodded.

“What about you?”

“Uh, well, I mean, I guess I’ve dated around a bit. Nothing’s ever been like, serious. I’ve had girlfriends and boyfriends and all that. I’ve never really had anything longer than like, six months though.”

“Relationships suck anyway. I like being friends with people.”

“Are we friends?”

“Of course we’re friends.”

“I mean, we do hookup.”

“Friends can dick each other down, John. Don’t be such a Regan.”

John laughed. “Did you just tell me not to be such a  _ Regan _ ?”

“Yeah! He was a dick. I think the assassination should’ve worked. Whoever missed that mother fucker, I’d like to have a few goddamn words. His head is bigger than his ego, how do you miss that shit!”

“God, honestly.”

Alex touched John’s thigh, sighing, then stopped, rubbing the skin. He looked at John, then ran his hand all the way down to John’s shin, and back. “Do you shave your legs?”

“What? No.”

“Oh my God, they’re hairless.”

“Actually, it’s just because I never wear shorts, so the hair chafes off. I have some patches, but for the most part, all the hair on my legs just rubs off.”

“How do you never wear shorts?” Alex asked.

“I mean, in winter, it’s cold, so I wear pants, and then through the summer, I’m mostly in my jumpsuit at the mechanic's place. My legs just don’t see the sun that often.”

“Oh, God, thank God it’s dim in this room, or I would have to look at your pale ass legs. Let’s get you down to the Caribbean, get you some sun on those legs, baby.”

“God, yeah, honestly.”

Alex took a deep breath. “I miss my teacher.”

“Do you think you’ll ever see him again?”

“I don’t know.” Alex wasn’t lying, he really didn’t know. He knew his teacher had a plan, but that didn’t mean anything in the long run. Alex had plans too, plans that in the end, didn’t work out. For instance, Hogwarts had never been a part of even his wildest plans. It had never even crossed his mind.

“I hope you do. This whole situation is just so messed up for you.”

Alex nodded. “Yeah.” He smiled. “Thanks for being understanding about this.”

“Of course.” John kissed the side of Alex’s head, smiling a bit. “I try my best.”

They spent the rest of the time in the bath making out and fingering each other. The clock struck three am and they decided it was best that they walked back. Alex though, being a gentleman, insisted on walking John back to his dorm.

“You’re such a nerd,” John muttered.

“Yeah, I know.” Alex chuckled, leaning up and kissing John’s jaw. “Maybe I just like spending time with you.”

“Well, Hamilton,” John began, muttering the passcode to the Gryffindor common room quickly. “Maybe I like spending time with you too.”

They both stepped into the warm room and sighed. Alex touched one of John’s hands gently. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

“Lafayette and I are gonna study and dick around after classes, so if you’re asking about then, then I am not free.”

“Alright, I’ll make plans with Maria and Aaron.” He smiled a bit. “But still, just, whenever you have a free afternoon, tell me. Let’s get like, coffee and read together.”

“Wow, that’s awfully romantic.”

“It’s not that romantic.” Alex rolled his eyes. “It’s like, normal friend stuff.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“Jesus, there you are.” Lafayette came into the common room. “Woke up, you were gone. Where’d you go?”

“Just wandered,” John answered, turning to Lafayette. “Don’t worry, I’m alright.”

“Leave a note next time, please,” Lafayette huffed a bit.

“Alright, sorry mom.” John punched Laf’s shoulder lightly. “Chill, bro.”

“Alright, alright.” Laf shook his head. “Giving me grey hair, I swear. Both of you now, off to bed. You’re gonna be tired in the morning.”

“You’re such a mom,” John complained. “Night, Alex, see you in classes tomorrow.”

“Night John, night Laf.” Alex smiled and left the common room, heading towards his own dorm. The castle at night was almost pleasant, it was quiet, except for the occasional echoed ‘meow’ from Finches cat. It used to scare the crap out of Alex, but he was later informed that no matter where you were in comparison to the cat, if the castle was quiet enough, you would hear its wretched meow.

Snape was patrolling the corridor along the Slytherin entrance, so Alex waited for Snape to turn the corner before entering the dorm and quietly shutting the door. He got to his bed and found Aedificio in it, sleeping half under the blankets. Alex placed the animal on his stomach and pulled the blankets over both of them and fell asleep.

Aaron woke Alex up the next morning and managed to pull him from the bed and get him dressed and ready for the day. Alex was tired, but he supposed he was always tired nowadays. 

“Woof, someone’s looking rough,” Maria commented.

“Yeah, stayed out too late.”

“Why’d you do that?” Aaron asked.

“I was getting fingered. It was worth it.”

“Alright, fair enough.” Maria smiled. “What do you want to do today?”

“I don’t know. We should go get-”

“Attention students!” McGonagle's shrill voice blared through a non-existent intercom. “Please remain in your dorms and come out for no reason! This is an order! If not in your dorms, find the nearest room to you and barricade yourself in it. Do not come out until I tell you to!”

“It’s probably just another drill,” Maria muttered. “They do this at least once a year, have us pretend the school is under attack or something, protect ourselves.”

“Oh, like shooter drills.”

Maria looked at Alex. “Like  _ what _ drills?”

“Oh, well on the continent in America mainly, but also on the islands, there are shooter drills in public schools, in case a school shooter comes in.”

“Well, that must not happen very often, right?” Aaron asked.

“No, usually once a week somewhere. That’s just school shootings, our mass shootings are usually one a day.” Alex sat down on the couch.

“Well, does anyone do anything to stop it?”

“No.” Alex shrugged. “I mean, no gun laws have changed, and there’s really not many protections surrounding it. There’s no such thing as gun control there.”

“That sounds like they just want their citizens to die,” Aaron muttered.

“Probably do.” Alex held out his arms. “We’re number one!”

Everyone jumped when the door to the dorm burst open, but relaxed when they saw it was only Lupin. Maria had already stood up though, wand pointed at him, Alex behind her. It took her a moment to realize that it really wasn’t a threat at their door.

“Alexander, you need to come with me, now.”

“Wait, hold on,” Maria started. “We’re coming too.”

“No, Ms. Lewis, you aren’t.” Lupin grabbed Alex by the back of his shirt. “Come, now.”

Alex didn’t question it, the tone in Lupin’s voice said it all. There was trouble in the castle. Lupin pulled Alex down the hallway, to a dead end, then closed his eyes. For a moment, everything was quiet, and then the wall began to move, change form until it was a door. Lupin pulled Alex through the door, then closed it and locked it, pushing something in front of it. 

“Where are we?” Alex muttered aloud, looking around. The room was stacked high with everything from furniture to books.

“The room of requirement. It gives you exactly what you need, and I needed somewhere to hide you.”

“Wait, what’s going on?”

“There are death eaters in the castle, only a few low levels, but they are looking for you. They want to kill you. You need to stay here, find somewhere to hide and stay there, do not move. You will come out when I say the words ‘tu vido’ okay? Do not come out for anyone else. Hide yourself like your life depends on it, it very well may.” Lupin squeezed Alex’s shoulders. “George will come back soon, and I do not wish to tell him you have perished. Stay safe.”

Alex nodded.

“Now, run, run as far as you can go, and hide.”

Alex didn’t need to be told twice. He turned and ran, climbing over all the objects, spelling his feet quiet. He found a bit of a cave in a hole of space under a fallen closet and squeezed through it, pulling a torn curtain that looked like the ones on their dorm beds over him and closing his eyes.

Being hidden in one spot for a while gave you time to think, worry, and think some more. Alex thought about the fact that people were trying to kill him for a little bit, and then, as the minutes ticked by, his mind turned to what Lupin said. 

‘George will come back soon.’

What exactly did he mean by that? He said it like he knew it, like he knew something Alex didn’t. And maybe he did. Alex didn’t think that George would plan out the entirety of his escape with Alex alone. That was risky and suspicious. But he and Lupin were old friends, and George knew he could trust Lupin.

Alex got bored a bit into the wait, so he began to look at the objects below him, around him. There wasn’t much, mostly broken or burned shit. Alex pushed himself up a bit, holding out his hand and attempting to do some fire shaping.

He found himself creating a woman, she had angel wings, and she was dancing. She reminded Alex of the woman on his island. She was beautiful, doing some sort of tribal dance that he had seen a few times.

Alex hummed some music and smiled as he watched her dance. She got more intricate with it, dancing in a more complicated way. He could almost hear the music playing, the drums and the singing, the clapping and laughing. 

Then the ground shook.

The firewoman put her hands to her face, scared, and then disappeared. Alex pulled the half-burnt curtain over him and held his breath. It felt like there was fighting. Alex tried to quietly dig himself farther down into the small cave he was in, trying to remember any kind of defense spell that George had taught him. The shaking and rumbling and blasting went on for about ten minutes, and each jolt in the ground made Alex’s heart jump.

He pulled the curtain over his head and waited. And waited. He waited for anything. Silence fell over the room again, and he wondered what happened. He didn’t move though, not yet. Not yet.

“Tu vido!” That was Lupin.

Alex scrambled out of his hiding place, tripping over the objects to make it back to the front of the room, which was difficult. It took him a moment, but finally, jumped off of a stack of desks, meeting Lupin in the front. He looked worse than he had half an hour ago.

“Is everyone okay? Did anyone get hurt?” Alex asked quickly.

“No, no, don’t worry, no one got hurt, not even those who were trying to hurt you. I apologize for the wait, but the ministry needed to get here and take the death eaters into their custody before I felt safe to let you out again.”

“It’s alright.”

“Morning classes have been canceled, giving the teachers time to search the perimeters and see if any breaches were made, as well as check the castle for anyone else. Students are still quarantined in their dorms until lunch, and breakfast was provided for them. I will walk you back to your dorm, where you will stay until McGonagle has given the okay signal.”

“Alright.” Alex wrung his hands together. “Did they hurt any students?”

“No, we made sure of that. All the dorms were sealed and guarded.”

“Okay.”

“Now.” Lupin pulled out a chocolate bar from his pocket and handed a square to Alex. “It’ll help.”

“Thank you.”

“Alexander, I think it is best that you practice as much precaution as you can in these following days.” Lupin looked around. “Perhaps stay in your dorm at night.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m sure you don’t, but if the idea perhaps crossed your mind-” Lupin eyed Alex. “I think it might be best to slash it down, just until something changes.”

“What change do you have in mind, professor?” Alex asked suspiciously. 

“A change in the danger you are in, of course. When you are no longer in danger, then feel free to do what you wish, but for now, while you are in danger, please, stick to our rules. I promise, such a request will not be relevant for much longer.”

Alex frowned, thinking about his little rendezvous with John, but nodded. “Alright, I can do that.”

“Alright.” Lupin squeezed Alex’s shoulder as they stopped before the Slytherin dorm room. “I do not want anything to happen to you, Alexander. I beg of you to keep yourself safe. Can you do that?”

Alex nodded.

“Okay.” Lupin smiled. “Now, go be with your friends, I’m sure everyone is happy to have a morning off.”

“Thank you, professor.”

“Of course, Alexander.”

Alex stepped into the common room and was instantly body slammed. Well, it was technically a hug, but it felt like Phil Simms had decided to take him down for no good reason. It wasn’t Phil Simms though either, it was Maria.

“Jesus, Christ, God, Maria, I’m okay, I’m okay.”

“You scared me!” She gasped. “We go into lockdown and suddenly you aren’t allowed to be in the dorm and you’re in danger? And then I hear a whole ass battle going on, and it’s like, what! I mean, I thought you were going to die!”

“I did too if it makes you feel better.”

“It doesn’t!”

“What happened?” A first-year asked, wide-eyed.

“I mean, it’s not all that interesting, Lupin stuffed me in the room of requirement, and-”

“You were in the room of requirement?” Aaron gasped. “I’ve been trying to find that place my entire Hogwarts career!”

“Oh, well, then I probably should’ve remembered where it is for you.” Alex chuckled a bit. “Uh, no, and then I hid there for half an hour, and then Lupin came and got me.”

“That’s it?” The first-year pushed.

“Yup.”

“God, you’re supposed to be cool.”

Maria shot a glare at the first-year, holding out her wand. “What’d you say?”

The first-year looked almost terrified. “Nothing.”

She pointed her wand at the kid. “Thought so, move along.”

“I’m supposed to be cool?” Alex muttered.

“Logically, yeah,” Aaron replied. 

“Wow, that’s probably disappointing to a lot of people.”

“Well, not for us. We like you just the way you are.” Maria grabbed Alex’s arm. “Come on, they brought in breakfast for us. Let’s get you some grub.”

“I’m sick of people trying to kill me,” Alex stated, grabbing a plate and a few rolls.

“I’m sick of people trying to kill you too,” Aaron agreed, grabbing seconds for himself since he was always hungry.

“We should cancel our book club and start a ‘no killing Hamilton’ club.” Maria flopped down on a loveseat. “You aren’t even that killable! I mean, you aren’t evil, you aren’t famous, you don’t do anything crazy or revolutionary. Dude, you literally surf and drink coffee.”

“That’s literally it.”

“Hey, man-bun!” Maria called out to a second-year. “Why’re you all huddled around the paper?”

And it was an astute observation. A small group of people had huddled around a coffee table, where the paper was laid out, being read in quiet voices.

“Oh, that crazy-” The second-year stopped when he saw Alex. “Uh, should I just get you one?”

“Yeah, you should.” Maria huffed. “No damn respect.”

“My wife likes to talk after sex,” Aaron started. “So she called me from a hotel room last night.”

Alex laughed.

“Here’s a paper, Maria,” the second-year mumbled, handing it to Maria.

“About time.” Maria opened it up to the first page, then gasped. “Oh, my God.”

“What? What is it?” Alex asked.

She looked at her two friends, then laid the paper out on the coffee table in front of them. Alex almost yelled at the sight of the headline, the mugshot on the front page, the words his eyes kept scanning over.

George had escaped from Azkaban.


	20. The Stranger in the Dining Hall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, updates have been slow with this, and I want to say right now, I am NOT abandoning this story, same goes for In Utero, another one I'm working on right now. I'm burnt out, and I write my stories three chapters ahead, and I'm at the climax for this one right now, and I'm bad at writing this particular type of writing, so I'm struggling to get motivated. On top of all that, I'm taking a full uni course load, and working twenty hour work weeks. I do not want to abandon this story, nor do I want to abandon writing. I'm just having a few difficulties right now. I appreciate your patience, and every bit of support that I get makes me so happy. Thank you, so much.

“I need more hobbies,” Maria huffed as the trio walked to the dining hall. 

“Like what?” Alex asked.

“I dunno, anything. There are only so many books you can read before you run out of ones that are interesting. That happened to me in elementary school, before I discovered how hot lesbian erotica was, I just ran out of books to read in the school library. I wasn’t allowed in the adult section of the regular library either. I had to go sit in bookstores all day just so I could read things far above my age level. I read Confessions of a Pimp when I was like, twelve.”

“Oh, God, I think the only book I read that was too adult for me was Death in Venice,” Alex laughed. “Well, no, I take it back, it wasn’t so much Death In Venice, as it was learning about Thomas Mann afterward that got me. What about you, Burr? What book scarred you at a too young age?”

“Uh, you know, I’m gonna have to go with The Devil’s Arithmetic. It was about the holocaust, and like, I mean, I didn’t really get taught all that much about that event, so reading that book fucking shocked me, and then I got nightmares.”

“Oh, I remember that book,” Alex started. “It was amazing but absolutely terrifying.”

“I’ve never read it,” Maria admitted.

“You gotta,” Aaron insisted. “I mean, like, it’s amazing. I’ll loan you my copy. Be prepared, it’s heavy, but you can read it in like, a night.”

“Okay, I’ll add it to my to-read list,” Mria decided.

“Add what?” Lafayette asked.

“The Devil’s Arithmetic.”

“Oh shit!” Lafayette’s eyes lit up, which was the first time Alex had seen that happen. “I loved that book so much. I mean, it was terrifying and heartbreaking, but I loved it. I mean, that shit’s just, it just cut you right to the bone, and then put salt on the cut, and then lit it on fire.”

“Yeah!” Aaron chuckled. 

“Okay,” John started. “Has anyone here seen Point Break?”

“No, what is it?” Alex asked.

“Alex you would love it! It’s about surfing, and it has the same actor who was in Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure, what’s his name… Keanu Reeves! Yeah, I like him, I hope he makes more movies.”

“Wasn’t he in Bram Stoker’s Dracula?” Maria asked.

“I thought that was Brad Pitt,” Lafayette put out.

“No, he was in Interview With A Vampire, but it was Keanu who was in Dracula.”

“He was also in River’s Edge, and Dangerous Liaisons,” Aaron put out.

“Oh, man, Dangerous Liaisons, that was an amazing book,” Maria sighed. “Who did Reeves play in that?”

“The music teacher,” Aaron stated. “I didn’t know that was a book.”

“It’s a great book,” Alex chuckled. “Honestly, I’ve been really into beatniks writing recently.”

“Beatniks, why is that name familiar?” Lafayette muttered.

“It was like a preamble to grunge and punk. I think gay people are getting portrayed as too clean nowadays. I want to be portrayed as gross again,” Alex decided. 

“Yeah, I prefer to be gross,” Maria stated. 

“Don’t we all?” Aaron laughed a bit. “Maybe I’ll just break my wand when I leave Hogwarts and devote my life to activism to properly compensate black people for slavery.”

“That’s the dream,” Eliza sighed.

“Attention students!” Dumbledore announced. “I would like to address something that came to light just the other day.”

Everyone looked up towards the man.

“A former student of ours, one who is now grown, escaped from Azkaban.”

Alex smiled a bit cockily.

“I would like all of you to know that no one will be harmed. Hogwarts itself has a way to protect itself from evil, so no evil will enter our walls.”

“Bullshit,” Maria muttered.

“Now, any rumors that you wish to spread about such an event, I suggest you keep them to yourself. Lies are the liquor of which the wicked drink.” Dumbledore looked around, smiling. “Now, let us proceed to live as normal, and speak little of-”

A popping sound filled the hall. It was loud enough that everyone flinched, everyone covered their ears. It sounded like a rock hitting another rock. And then the room was quiet. Only something was different.

A stranger was standing in front of Dumbledore’s podium. He was wearing rags, he was dripping wet. He was skinny, with pale brown skin, hair and beard grown and unkempt. He shook his head a bit, then spelled himself dry, standing up straight and scanning the room. He looked professional, serious, but a small smile quirked on his lips.

“George,” Alex muttered softly.

John whipped his head over to Alex. “As in your teacher?”

Alex didn’t answer. He stood up, stepping over the bench and drawing the eye of his teacher. 

George smiled, looking as confident and respectable as he could in his current state. Before moving, he turned back to the teachers and smiled. “Professors, wonderful to see you.” He looked back over the dining hall, then began walking down the aisle towards the door. “Alexander, come.”

Alex didn’t waste a moment. It was like he was a trained dog. In seconds, he had fallen into step by George’s side, walking out of the dining hall.

“I hope you’ve kept up on your studies,” George started as they walked together.

“I have.”

“And continued to turn yourself into a well-read person?”

“I joined a book club.” 

George smiled down at Alex. “Wonderful.”

“Where are we going?”

“I have a suit and a shave waiting for me in Lupin’s office. He will meet us there in a moment. I expect you to withhold all personal affections and greetings until I am in a better state.”

“Yes, George.”

“Tell me, how are you liking On The Heavens?”

“I’m liking it a lot, actually. Aristotle is a wonderful writer and a great thinker.”

“How have your studies been going? Have you mastered ignition and restoration?”

Alex frowned, pressing his lips together. “Ignition, yes. I’m quite good at burning things, unfortunately, it is the restoration that I struggle with.” 

George opened the door to Lupin’s office. “And why do you think that is?”

“Well, the key to it, at least what the book says, is to find inner peace, but sir, I’m not having a very easy time finding such inner peace.”

“Yes, well, I suppose I chose that as a challenge for you in your current state. It is alright.” George pulled out a chair by Lupin’s desk and gestured for Alex to sit. “You wait, Lupin should be here in a moment, and once I am clean, dressed, and shaved, we will talk.”

“Yes, sir.”

George smiled, tilting his head. “It’s very good to see you, Alexander.”

“Likewise.”

George went into another room, and Alex was left sitting there. 

Alex couldn’t stop smiling. His teacher was  _ back _ . The one bit of family he had left, the only father he ever had, the only parental figure he had, the only person who truly knew him was back. Alex was told he would never see George again, but there he was. 

In his heart, Alex always knew that George would come back, but God, he almost didn’t believe it.

“I assume he’s getting cleaned up?” Lupin asked, walking into the office and sitting down in his chair.

“Yes, professor.”

Lupin smiled. “I told you, you do not know everything, Alexander.”

Alex pressed his lips together for a moment. “Do you know why he didn’t really tell me much?”

“Ah, he was prepared for this to go south, so he decided it be best he leaves you out of planning, so if the ministry were to question you, you would not have much to tell, and therefore, not much to be punished for.”

Alex nodded. “Is he really back? Or am I just dreaming?”

“I’m quite sure he’s back, otherwise we would be sharing the same dream, which would be quite odd, don’t you agree?”

“I do. How did he get back?”

“Ah, well, that will all be explained later, I promise. For now, let us just greet each other.”

“Yes, let’s.” George stepped out of the room, head and face shaved, suit on, looking clean and put together, not like he had spent the last six months in Azkaban. “Good Christ, how I missed my tweeds.” He looked at Alex. “Now that I am no longer in a state of disarray, I do believe a hug would be appropriate for the-'' George was cut off by a body-slam of a hug from Alex.

“I missed you,” Alex muttered.

George smiled and hugged Alex back, kissing the top of his head. “I missed you too, Alexander. So much.”

Alex felt himself tear up.

“It’s alright to cry. I won’t let go. I won’t let you go.”

Alex nodded and didn’t speak again as tears began to slide down his cheeks. He had a million reasons to cry, some happy and some sad, but he couldn’t pinpoint why specifically he was crying. Perhaps he didn’t care that much though. He was just happy to be back with George.

“Alright,” Alex mumbled, wiping his face. 

“It’s alright.” George patted Alex’s cheek. “Now, Lupin, update me on Alexander’s wellbeing. Has he been behaving?”

“Of course, not, George.”

“Wonderful.” George smiled and sat down, folding his hands. “And just how long do you think we have until the school attempts to send me back?”

“Ah, I’m sure we have about ten minutes to talk before Dumbledore can no longer hold them back.” Lupin smiled. “Alexander not only befriended one of our more radical anti-elf-slavery activists but had heavy involvement in breaking the centuries-old tradition of houses sitting with only members of their other houses.”

“Wonderful,” George nodded. “Alexander, were you treated kindly?”

“In the beginning, not really, but now people are just kind of scared of me.”

“Good. And you have friends?”

“Yes, several.”

“Fantastic. I’m glad your time spent here has not been absolutely miserable. Lupin, have the professors unionized yet?”

“No, George, they haven’t.”

“Why you work here, I’ll never know.” George sighed and leaned back. “What have I missed?”

“Ah, unfortunately, George, not much at all,” Lupin stated. “I wish much more had happened so I could tell you, but I don’t believe there is much worth taking up your time for.”

George nodded. “And Alexander, do you like your friends?”

“I suppose they wouldn’t be my friends if I didn’t,” Alex smiled. “But yes, I do. Maria and Aaron are very intellectually stimulating and John is a relaxing energy, someone I can laugh with.”

“I’m glad you’ve found friends who are on your level of intelligence. I would like to meet them.”

“They would most likely like to meet you too,” Alex replied.

“Wonderful.” George smiled a bit, then sighed. “Ah, I sense our intimate meeting is about to be quite interrupted.”

“Yes, I suppose so,” Lupin muttered.

At that moment, the door burst open, and in walked McGonagle, Dumbledore, and Snape. George stood up and smiled at them, leaning back against Lupin’s desk.

“Petrificus totalus!” McGonagle yelled, pointing her wand at George.

George tossed the spell to the side with the flick of his head, leaving it to die out on the floor. “Professor, I thought you liked me.”

“I do not like evil threatening the well-being of our students,” McGonagle stated.

“Ah, perhaps if you put this much energy into protecting Hogwarts, my pupil would not have had as many close calls as he did.” George smiled. “Lupin kept me updated, and I must say, the fact that your security was so poor that the closest thing I have to a son was forced to hide for his life in these very walls, tsk tsk.”

Dumbledore smiled a bit. 

“Give us one reason why we shouldn’t turn you over now,” Snape muttered, pointing his wand at George.

“Ah, Severus, still kissing the ministry’s ass I see. Don’t you get sick of it?” George smiled a bit.

Alex snickered.

“I think we all should take a breath,” Lupin suggested. “There’s quite a lot of misunderstanding in this room.”

“We have a man who was in Azkaban mere hours ago in this room as well,” McGonagle gasped.

“Yes, yes, that was quite embarrassing.” George sighed. “All a big misunderstanding though. See, when it comes to the rich pure-blooded wizarding, the ministry is more like an obedient Pavlov dog. I killed a few of theirs, so a bit of money was exchanged, and I was put away. Perhaps if they hadn’t killed the mother of my student, I wouldn’t have killed them, but alas.” He put his hand on Alex’s shoulder, squeezing it. “My student is being targeted by the most powerful wizards in the world. I thought, when I was informed that he was going to Hogwarts, he would at least be safe. But he’s not been, now has he?”

“We are one of the safest places in England,” Snape said slowly, his eyes glared.

“Ah, what was that student’s name? Aaron Burr? Yes, what about when death eaters took over the train you oversee as safe and then left him with quite a nasty injury? What about when Alexander was forced to hide as death eaters searched this very school for him? Obviously, you’re doing a sub-par job. It would be safer to be a Catholic in London than a student in Hogwarts right now.”

Dumbledore chuckled at that one. “Well, George, I do believe it’s quite nice to see you again. I’ve never trusted the ministry to do the right thing, but I would like to ask what, now that you’re here, do you suggest we do?”

“Well, Alexander cannot spend the rest of his life hiding. He always lost at hide and seek as a child, so I would say the most you could get him to really hide would be a few days, and then he would get bored and restless. The only way to truly rid the threat is to face it head-on.”

“Face it head-on?” McGonagle looked astounded. “And do you not care about your pupil’s safety?”

“I think you quite underestimate my pupil’s ability to take care of himself.” George hummed. “Unfortunately, he will never truly be safe until the threat itself is eliminated, and as long as the people who want him dead are alive, that threat will never be eliminated.”

Dumbledore nodded. “You are right. Such a feat will need to be planned though.”

“Yes, which is why I hope this school can offer me a bit of asylum until my pupil is no longer threatened. As much as I would like to go home at this point, I do believe the resources here greatly rival those at home.” George began to pace. “Once Alexander is safe, I will no longer need asylum, the ministry isn’t that difficult to hide from. I mean, I’m sure I could easily get in contact with Sirius Black if I wanted to, yes?”

“I’m sure you could see him if you knew where to look,” Lupin mumbled, smiling.

“Some crimes are not truly crimes.” George looked to the teachers. “Now, if you will excuse Alexander and me, we have a bit of catching up to do, a few friends of his I would like to meet, and a few lessons I have planned for the day.”

“He had other classes,” McGonagle pointed out.

“Yes, and I’m sure they’d be quite enriching if he was still ten, but I teach him at a much higher level than most.” George hummed, looking around. “Lupin, as I’m sure Alexander will wish to spend lunch with his friends, you and I must talk a bit more about a few arrangements, yes?”

“Yes. I hope you won’t mind, my dog will most likely be there too,” Lupin stated.

“Ah, you still have it? The black, scruffy one, right?” George smiled.

“Of course.”

“Alright.” George looked at Alexander. “Come, let us go collect your books, and I’ll see if I can scrounge up any other lessons in the forbidden section.” 

The two of them left walking down the hallway. George kept his hand firmly planted on Alexander’s shoulder. They were quiet for a moment, simply walking down the castle corridors, then George stopped, and turned to Alex.

“Not a day went by when I didn’t miss you. You were the reason I had hope in there because I knew I would be able to see you again.”

Alex smiled.

“Alexander, I’m so sorry I couldn’t save her.”

Alex swallowed hard, taking a deep breath and trying not to think of the image of her mother, dead on the floor of their home. “It’s not your fault.”

“I wish I could’ve done more. I wish I could’ve told you more. There is so much you don’t know yet, simply because your mother wished to protect you from those truths, but things have gone much too far to keep such information from you. I will speak to you of many things today, tell you the full story of your heritage.”

Alex nodded. 

“Now, I would like to meet your friends, but perhaps we do that at lunch, yes? I have much to teach you, and I would like to see how far you’ve gotten with your magic, yes?”

“Alright.” Alex swallowed. “Can we stop at the dining hall though? I want to make sure they know I’m alright.”

“Yes, yes, of course.” George walked to the dining hall and opened the door for Alexander, since it was locked, then waited outside.

Alex found his friends quickly, despite the grounds of people who were mingling and throwing out ideas. 

“Oh, my God, Alex,” Maria gasped quietly. “Are you okay?”

“Hey, yeah, I don’t have much time to talk about it right now, but I’ll see you guys at lunch, alright?” Alex looked around. “My teacher is back. But there are still people trying to kill me, him too, probably. He does want to meet you guys but at lunch. Look, there’s a lot going on, I don’t even know all of it. I’ll tell you everything at lunch though.”

Aaron nodded. “Alright, you be careful, alright? We wanna know everything at lunch.”

“Yeah, literally everything,” John agreed. “I’m not even following what’s happening right now.”

“Makes you feel better, I’m not really either.” Alex shook his head. “Look, I’m really sorry, I don’t want to leave you guys, but I promise, I’m gonna tell you everything I know at lunch, and-”

“Alex.” Maria smiled a bit. “We get it, your teacher just came back from Azkaban. Just, go. We’ll see you at lunch.”

Alex smiled, then kissed their cheeks. “I love you guys.”

“We love you too.” John smiled at Alex. “Now go.”

Alex nodded, smiling at them, then turned and left the dining hall before anyone noticed him. He got back outside, where George was having an in-depth conversation with a portrait about the meaning of Plato’s cave allegory. Alex smiled a bit, rocking back and forth on his heels. “Alright, I made sure they knew I’m okay. They’re excited to meet you.”

George turned and smiled. “Wonderful. Alright, shall we go? We have much to speak about, and I would like to see if there is any material I could work with in the forbidden section.”

Alex nodded. “Yes, let’s go.”

George paused, then put his hand on Alex’s shoulder, nodding a bit. “It’s good to be back, Alexander. I missed teaching you.”

Alex smiled. And maybe for the first time since he arrived at Hogwarts, it was truly, actually, genuine.


	21. The Catching Up and the Planning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me? Updating? Impossible.

“Focus, Alexander.”

“I  _ am  _ focusing!” Alex exclaimed. “This is stupid!”

“No, it’s not. You just aren’t trying.”

“Trying for what? Inner peace?” Alex huffed and sat down, staring at the charred log. “Why should I have inner peace? My mom’s dead, you’re a convict, and it’s cold out here.”

George sat down next to Alex, pulling up a few logs and lighting them on fire. “Let’s take a break.” He put his arm around Alex and sighed, watching the wood burn. “You’re gonna get this, Alexander, I know you are. Inner peace isn’t the same as happiness.”

“Then what is it?”

George sighed. “Have you ever heard of the teachings of Buddha?”

“I’ve heard  _ of  _ them, I don’t know what they are.”

“Alright, well, I’ll tell you.” George looked over the English lands for a moment. “Alright, so it started when Prince Siddhartha became bored with castle life, so decided to make four journeys to see the outside world. On the first three, he saw war, poverty, sickness, death, and he said to himself, ‘how can I be happy when there are so many sad?’ On the fourth trip, he saw a monk who had given up all his belongings, seeking to end suffering in the world, so Siddhartha said to himself ‘I will be like him.’”

“Wait, when does Buddha come in?” Alex asked.

“You’ll see.” George smiled a bit. “He continued like this for six years, but could not find the way to end suffering in the world, despite months of meditation, starving himself, and having absolutely nothing. So, he realized that overdoing things could not lead to happiness, whether it be luxury or poverty.”

“I dunno, I’d be pretty happy with a lot of luxury right now.”

“That’s why you haven’t found inner peace,” George decided. “Anyway, one night, the Prince sat under the Bodhi tree and decided he would stay there until he found a way to end suffering. During the night, he was visited by Mara, the evil one, who attempted to tempt him from his virtuous path, but it did not work, and that morning, the Prince became the Buddha, the awakened one.”

“Oh, the  _ prince  _ is the Buddha,” Alex muttered.

“Yes.” George smiled. “He went on to teach some of the universal truths that many Buddhists and non-Buddhists believe. Firstly, nothing is really lost in the universe. Matter turns into energy, energy turns into matter. Everything is everything. Secondly, everything is continuously changing. Nothing ever stays the same.”

“What’s that quote from The Outsiders? ‘Nothing gold can stay’?”

“It's not actually from The Outsiders, but close enough.” George smiled. “The third and final universal truth is the law of cause and effect, otherwise known as karma. What you do now affects you in the future. Doing bad things will lead to bad karma, doing good things will lead to good karma.”

“Alright, well, what does this have to do with inner peace?”

“I’m not done.” George smiled. “So impatient. Next, the Buddha taught the four noble truths. Firstly, there is suffering, and suffering is common to all. Secondly, we are the cause of our own suffering. The things that happened that caused you to suffer, perhaps they are not your fault, but your agony lasts only as long as you want it to. Third, to end suffering, we must stop doing what causes suffering. And finally, on the path to end suffering, everyone can become enlightened. Do you understand now?”

Alex shook his head. “No.”

George nodded slowly. “Well, those seven truths, those are things we need to accept. You are angry, you are frustrated, and things are out of your control. You need to let go of that though.”

“Let go of that? Of the anger against the people who killed my mother?”

George sighed. “Alexander, it’s not that exactly. I cannot explain to you how to find inner peace, because it is different for everyone. But revenge in itself never brings the cathartic experience we hope for.”

“Then what should I do?”

“Come to peace with what happened.”

“How?”

“I can’t tell you how. You must learn for yourself.”

“Oh, so you’re my teacher, but you can’t teach me this?”

“Alexander.” George sighed. “Your anger doesn’t help anyone.”

“I know.” Alex rubbed his hands together and put them closer to the fire. “It’s just hard not to be mad when, oh, I dunno, an evil wizarding family killed my mother, you got put into prison for it, and I got sent to the same place Margaret Thatcher lived.”

George laughed. “It’s good to know you haven’t lost your sense of humor. Have you practiced anything else in the textbook?”

Alex nodded, holding out one of his hands, palm up. “Fire shaping.”

“Let’s see it.”

Alex paused for a moment, and then the same woman appeared in fire, dancing the traditional dances of his island. Alex could almost see the ankle bracelets she had, her wild hair. He could almost even hear the music.

“Very good.”

Alex smiled a bit. 

“You miss home.”

“Of course I do.”

“It’s gonna be alright. We’ll be back soon. Give your mother a proper burial. It’ll be okay.” George shook his head, laughing. “Be back somewhere where it’s warm, good God.”

“It’s fucking freezing here, I hate it.”

George nodded. “This evening, after dinner, I will be having a meeting with the teachers here, about how to eliminate any threat to you. I would like you to be there so to know what is going on. You were left out of the planning of my escape, but it is not because I didn’t trust you. The ministry could have been watching, or-”

“I understand.” Alex looked at George. “This is not a situation we are used to.”

“You are right.” George chuckled a bit. “Good Christ, Azkaban has taken a few years off of my life.”

“Don’t say that.”

George hummed. “You seem tired, Alexander.”

“It’s hard to sleep here.”

“You feel weaker. You need to get home, I think. It’ll help.”

“Do we know when we can leave?” 

“Not yet.” George sighed. “Soon though, I promise. Things are quite difficult right now, Alexander, and I’m so sorry they are. I wish I could’ve protected you from this.”

“It’s not your fault.”

George sighed. “I just want you to know that I will do everything to protect you, and I will never, ever let harm befall you. Things will work out, I promise.”

Alex and George sat there for a little while, warming themselves by the fire, then the clock struck noon, and it was lunch. Alex parted from George and met his friends with food in the dining hall.

“So, how was… class?” Aaron asked. “I’m incredibly curious.”

“It was alright. Not like our classes usually are, since there was a lot less safety, oceans, warmth, and people who don’t want to kill me, but could be worse.” Alex smiled. “We’re gonna talk about how to plan out a way to ensure I don’t die tonight.”

“Well, we’re coming too,” John stated.

“You are?” Alex asked slowly.

“Yeah, of course, we are,” Maria nodded. “You’re our friend. We are gonna help.”

“I don’t know if you’re allowed to,” Alex admitted.

“Look, Maria may be a master at illegal anarchism, but she’s also really good at sit-ins, provided I get a bucket, but I will bring  _ two  _ buckets until they let us help,” Aaron stated with the confidence of someone who has already been to prison.

Alex rolled his eyes, groaning as he shoved food into his mouth. “Why did I ever think I could stop you guys from caring about my wellbeing?”

“Because we love you, champ,” John stated. “Nothing will ever change that.”

It was later in the evening when the group gathered to walk to Lupin’s office. Lafayette was there, but he made it very clear it was because ‘he had nothing better to do’ and not because ‘he actually cared.’ Alex just smiled at him and told him he was glad to see him.

“So, tell me, what’s the aura your teacher gives off?” Maria asked. “Mystic?”

“Eh, kinda just a normal dude.” Alex shrugged. “As normal as he could be.”

“Alright, cool.” Aaron huffed. “When you guys are okay and not about to die, you should kidnap us and bring us back to your island for a little bit.”

“Speaking of your teacher committing crimes,” John started. “How had the ministry not locked his ass up yet?”

“Well, he knows all the teachers and convinced them to give him sort of a protection, and even if they didn’t, he still has Lupin, and also he’s smarter than everyone in the ministry.”

“That’s not saying much, an old mop is smarter than everyone in the ministry,” Maria snorted. “Anyway, in the small chance you end up getting interviewed about all this, make sure to bring up elf slavery. Solidarity.”

“I’ll just only talk about elf slavery. They’ll ask me how I feel about everything, and I’ll say ‘well it’s hard not to be upset when millions of elves are currently enslaved and the ministry refuses to reform such old-fashioned and cruel laws.’ How’s that?”

“Perfect.”

Alex stopped as they got to Lupin’s office. “I shouldn’t be nervous about introducing him to my friends, right?”

“Psh, of course not.” Maria burst through the door to the office and grabbed a handful of candies on a side table in Lupin’s classroom, shoving them into her mouth. “So are they up in Lupin’s office or what?”

John tripped over a table and broke a vase.

“Shit!” Laf gasped. “We gotta fix it!”

“How do you fix it?” John asked, scrambling to get together the pieces of the vase.

“Alex, do you know a spell?” Aaron asked. 

“Uh, maybe?” Alex tried, but it only broke the vase more.

“Alex! You’re supposed to be the good wizard!”

“I don’t fix things!”

“I’m gonna look for glue,” Maria decided, running around the classroom to find some.

“And what? We hold the vase together for the hour it takes to dry and just make up some excuse?” Lafayette cried.

“Yeah!” Alex gasped. “That’s smart.”

“I was being sarcastic!” Laf shook his head. “Oh, God, why did I come?”

“Look, maybe we can balance the pieces back together. Is anyone good at puzzles?”

“I’m good at sudoku,” Maria offered.

John groaned and dropped the broken pieces. “Oh, God, we’re all gonna die.”

“Not all of us, just Alex,” Maria pointed out.

Alex found a book and threw it at her.

She caught it, laughing and threw it back. “I’m invincible, bitch!” She jumped up on a desk. “I’d like to see that cunt Bellatrix try and fight me! I’d kick her pale ass back to last Tuesday!”

“Maria, you can’t even fix a vase, what makes you think you can take one of the best wizards in Europe?” Aaron asked, laughing.

“Because I’m a bad bitch.”

“Bad bitch, whatcha want, whatcha want, whatcha gonna do when Bellatrix comes for you,” Alex started.

“Bad bitch, bad bitch,” the group began singing. “Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?”

“Well, Alexander, this certainly is an interesting group of people,” George mumbled amusedly from the balcony outside of Lupin’s office, overlooking his classroom. 

“Laf broke the vase!” John yelled.

“Not true! I’m gonna kick your ass!”

“Oh, relax,” Lupin sighed. “The vase was of minimal importance, most likely to get broken by a first-year without good aim. Come in, the lot of you. I suppose we’re all here for the same reason.”

“Yeah, but I also need an extension of the paper on animagi, because I’m stupid, and have been really busy lately.”

“You get an extra week.” Lupin smiled. “Alright, let’s discuss this.”

The group of ragtag kids somehow all made it into the office and were given tea. 

“Ms. Lewis, yes?” George confirmed, looking to Maria.

She replied with a nod.

“I appreciate your work with WAES. I’ve heard quite a few stories from Lupin. I think it is good that the younger generation of wizards has become more radicalized than the previous.” George looked around at the group of children. “Alright, well, I would like to make sure you all know that Alexander is the only person who needs to be here.”

“Psh,” Aaron started. “Alex, you hear this dude? He’s all like ‘Alex is allowed to almost die by himself.’ As if. You can’t get rid of us that easy.”

“What would it take?” Alex joked.

“If you were a relative of Margaret Thatcher, I’d be okay with you dying,” Maria stated. “I don’t want that bloodline to continue.”

“Fuckin’ cunt, she was,” Lafayette muttered.

“Ah, English politics. Not something I missed.” George sighed. “Are there any Irish?”

“I’m Irish,” Aaron offered.

“Ah, is the English hatred still a thing?”

“Yes, very much so. We make fun of them all the time. Fuck the English.”

“Fuck the English!” Maria shouted.

Lupin chuckled. “Alright, as much as I love discussing politics and philosophy-”

“Who doesn’t?” Maria interjected.

“We do have a reason we are here. To make sure Alexander will not die within the next few months.”

“I have a question,” John started. “They'rere trying to kill Alex, are they trying to kill you, George? Also hi, I’m John, Alex’s friend.”

“Hello, John. And no, they aren’t trying to kill me.”

“It’s more of a blood thing. They can’t stand that a half-blood such as myself is related to them. Also, I’m not convinced this isn’t partially a race thing.” Alex sat back, sipping his coffee.

“I mean, they don’t attack black or brown wizards more than white ones, but they are out of England, and like, the fact that there’s only one white person in this room is probably enough to kill the queen,” Maria pointed out.

George chuckled. “Well, regardless of whether or not they’re racist, they’re still trying to kill you. And that’s what we need to stop.” He pulled out some paper, looking it over. “Lupin and I were talking before you made your entrance, and we were thinking of some ideas. Now, as long as you’re in Hogwarts, you’re the safest you could be. The issue is, we need to make you a little more accessible.”

“To who?”

“The people trying to kill you,” Lupin stated plainly.

“As one of Alex’s best friends, can I object?” Maria asked.

“Not yet.” George continued with the plan. “Now, we’d get you accessible enough to draw their attention, but not enough to kill you.”

“That’s the sweet spot,” Alex agreed.

“We’d make it seem like an accident, a simple mistake, but it wouldn’t be.”

“Go on,” John mumbled, now interested.

“You know how you put cheese in a mousetrap?” George smiled. “Alex, you’re the cheese, I’m the mousetrap.”

“Hey, I wanna be the mousetrap too, he’s  _ my  _ best friend, if they have a problem with him, they have a problem with me. They also most likely  _ do  _ have a problem with me, since I’ve been freeing all their current and future house-elves,” Maria stated.

“Then you might be better off as the cheese.”

“Well wait, if Maria and Alex are cheese, then I am too, we’re a packaged deal,” Aaron objected.

“You want to be bait.” Lupin looked like he almost didn’t believe it.

“Not really, but as I said, you either get one hundred percent of us, or none-hundred percent of us,” Aaron smiled.

“Do they have any issue with you?”

“Probably not, but I could roast them.”

“He’s not very good at roasting,” Maria ratted. 

“I am so!”

“You called me a nipple when you tried to roast me, and then apologized.” Maria shook her head.

“Well, still, packaged deal.”

George sighed, a bit tired almost. “Alright, well, if we go with the mousetrap cheese plan, we’ll keep that in mind. The issue with that plan is that we’d have to leave Hogwarts, and it would put us in an unfamiliar situation. It would be best if we stuck close to the castle.”

“Could we be cheese in the castle?”

“It would require Dumbledore to take down the protective barrier around the castle.”

“That shit doesn’t even work,” Maria scoffed. “We’ve had like, two attacks this year  _ so far _ , and maybe more that I slept through.”

“Do you sleep through a lot of attacks?” Lafayette asked.

“Yes, she slept through the cave troll, in the library, where it was,” Aaron answered.

“Cave trolls are still getting in here?” George muttered.

“I’m sorry,  _ still _ ? Was this a problem when you were here?”

“Oh, absolutely. See, they’re too stupid for the barrier to consider a threat, but they’re still a threat. I tried to make a better barrier in sixth year, with the help of a few friends, but all it did was burn our eyebrows off and make our hair stand up straight for a week.”

“Ah, yes, I do remember the wrath of McGonagle that day.” Lupin sighed. “Frankly, Alexander, I must say, it is a bit hard to plan this out when we haven’t got the slightest idea of what will happen. I know, for a fact, that George does not want you to get hurt.”

“No, I do not,” George confirmed.

“But it feels like all ideas would lead to us risking your wellbeing so to maintain your wellbeing.”

“Well, that’s an awful paradox.” Maria hummed. “But he’s gonna be fine. Who wouldn’t be? He’s got all of us. We’ll keep him safe.”

Alex smiled. “And I’ll keep you safe too.”

George sighed away a frown, then pulled out a piece of paper. “Let’s get down everyone’s skillset. Anything is useful, so I want to know what each of you can do.”

The group talked for the next two hours, coming up with ideas of plans, ways to work together, anything that could be useful. It was late, almost time for them to go to bed when they finally broke away, deciding it was time to adjourn the meeting and come back to it.

“Alexander,” George started. “Before you go, walk with me. You don’t care about breaking the rules, do you?”

“Alexander? Breaking the rules? He would never!” Maria gasped.

“If anything, he’s kept  _ us  _ out of trouble,” Aaron confirmed, trying not to laugh.

George smiled amusedly. “I have an oddly hard time believing that.”

“Alright, I’ll see you guys at the dorm.” Alex hugged his friends goodbye, wishing John and Laf a good night, and agreeing to stay up a bit later with Maria and Aaron to turn water into cherry wine and make fun of Rita Skeeter's articles.

For a few minutes, George and Alex walked in silence along the castle halls, making it to a large open area, where the cold night air crept under the windows and blew against them. George stood by a window and sighed.

“I have to speak to you about something.”

“Yes?” Alex took his place next to George, looking over the window.

“This plan, this idea we have of defeating evil and living happily ever after…” George clenched his jaw. “It’s not all that realistic.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean there is a chance we also lose.”

Alex stopped for a moment, realizing the thought hadn’t crossed his mind. “Oh.”

“I tell you this because I want you to know that there is a very real chance you will die, or I will die.” George paused. “There is also a very real chance your friends will die protecting you.”

Alex’s head whipped over to George. “What?”

“Alexander, you are growing into adulthood, and with that comes the knowledge that the people you love die. You know that well.” George looked down. “These situations never have a perfect outcome, and you need to be prepared for that. You need to be prepared to make sacrifices for the greater good.”

“What  _ is  _ the greater good? Is it sacrificing my friends for me? Me for my friends? You for me? Something entirely different?”

“Eye of the beholder. You decided such.”

Alex looked down.

“I do not want anything to go wrong, Alexander, and I will do everything in my power to make sure nothing doesn’t, but I cannot promise that it won’t. I cannot promise you won’t lose more people you love.”

“Then… What's the point of this? If I died, then everyone I loved would be left alone? What if I just did that?”

George swallowed. “Yes, that is another option, but we must try everything before that. And only you can make that decision, Alex. I will never give you that option because I would die a million times over before letting any harm befall you.”

Alex nodded.

“You have made very close friends here, and they care about you very much. I feel as though it would be pointless to try and stop them. I’ve heard my share of stories about sit-ins Ms. Lewis has participated in.”

Alex laughed a bit. 

“I’m sorry this is happening, and I cannot promise you every decision you make in these next few months will be easy, but I will be there with you until my last breath, I promise.”

“So I guess no one really knows if everything will be okay, huh?” Alex shrugged in an attempt not to cry.

“No.” George put his hand on Alex’s shoulder. “But everything is okay right now.”

And so the two of them stood there for a little bit, watching the moon, and for just a moment, George was right. Everything was okay.


	22. The First Attack at Hogwarts

Alex was laying outside on the frosted grass, staring at the sky, watching the breath coming from his lips turn into fog. He realized it was the first time he had been alone in a while. He supposed before Goerge had returned, he would have time to himself, even with the time he spent with Maria, Aaron, or John. But now, as George’s refuge at Hogwarts was hitting its two-week mark, Alex realized just how little time he had spent alone. 

He pushed himself up on his elbows and looked over the courtyard. If the frozen dirt hadn’t chilled him to his bones, perhaps it would’ve been beautiful, but the aching in his joints prevented him from seeing the depressingly gorgeous view sprawled out in front of him. Alex, at this time, wondered what Ireland in the summer would be like. Nice, he assumed. He had seen pictures of Ireland, and it did look gorgeous, with its neverending hills, steep cliffs falling into the grey ocean. Alex pondered over going when all this was over if he was to see the other side of this.

It was becoming overcast, and whatever warmth the sun had been offering, be it not much, was slowly fading away behind a blanket of dark clouds. Alex sighed softly, watching the sky change. He didn’t quite want to go in just yet. He wished it was warmer.

Alex spelled himself warm and closed his eyes. When he woke up, he was cold again, and the sky was much darker. He could feel a presence nearby and realized someone had come out to make sure he wasn’t being murdered. 

“What’s the point of my alone-time if I’m not alone?” Alex muttered, turning towards the presence.

George sat on a bench, a book in his hand. “If you wish to remain entirely alone, you must also remain entirely conscious. Do you know how easy it is to kill a sleeping wizard?”

“No, I don’t,” Alex muttered, spelling himself warm again and looking at the sky. “How easy is it?”

“Easier than you would think.”

“Have you ever killed a sleeping wizard?”

George huffed. “No, I have not. Come, it’s getting dark, and cold, you should head inside.” He stood up, closing his book with a definitive snap that told Alex he was not in the mood to argue.

Alex stood up and began walking back to the school with George. “Do you know what happens after death?”

“Not specifically, no, but I suppose I have my own theories.”

“Like what?”

George looked at Alex, then smiled. “We rejoin the earth.”

“Like reincarnation?”

“Not quite.” George hummed. “We all have energy sourced from the earth, and when we die, our energy goes back to the earth, and when we are born, bits of energy from different people form to create our singular energy. It’s not reincarnation, more like recycling.”

“Huh.”

“I gather it is not something that strikes your interest?” George mused.

“Not really, I guess.” Alex shrugged. “I dunno, I’m pretty sure I’ll become a sea creature when I die.”

“Do you fear death, Alexander?”

“I don’t know. I understand it, I suppose, and I’d like to not die any time soon, but I suppose if I died if I knew I was going to die and I couldn’t do anything to stop it, I would come to some sort of peace with it.”

“That’s good. Death is not something to fear, but if you can avoid it, I would suggest it. It is like… spiders. You should not be afraid of spiders, but avoiding them may be in your best interest most of the time.”

“There are a million spiders here, it feels,” Alex mumbled.

“Yes, there are billions of them in the forest, and the little ones go to the castle when it gets cold. Hagrid, you know him, he took care of the oldest spider there for a very long time. Until the accident happened.”

“The accident?”

George smiled as they reentered the castle. “Another story for another time. Tell me, what are your plans this evening? I would like to steal an hour of your time so to teach you a few things that may be the difference between life or death.”

“Like spells?”

“You do not do spells, Alexander, you simply think, and it becomes. I will be teaching you defenses. It is very likely you will need to know something more than what you have already learned. The LeStranges are great wizards, but very cruel, and will not hesitate to hurt you in ways you cannot imagine.”

Alex nodded gravely.

“Now, go to eat dinner with your friends. I have a few things to discuss with Lupin, and then I shall teach you a few things.”

“What about my friends?” Alex asked.

“What about them?”

“If they are to be protecting me, which they will, no matter how much we try to convince them not to, should they not be learning greater defenses too?”

George took a breath, thinking. “You are very right, Alexander. I shall find a few books in the forbidden section of the library for them to study and practice. Since I no longer am capable of teaching a student who wields a wand, I will have Lupin assist me in such matters. Now.” He patted Alex’s shoulder. “Run along. I will meet you at Lupin’s classroom, and we will discuss it more then.”

“Alright.” Alex smiled up at George. “Thank you.”

George leaned down and kissed the top of Alex’s head. “I love you, Alexander. You are my most prized pupil and the closest thing I have to a son. Now, be well.”

“I will.”

Alex turned and walked down the hallway to the dining hall, finding his friends a bit farther down the table than usual, and sitting with them, piling his plate with some food and smiling. 

“Alex, settle an argument since John refuses to take a side and Lafayette’s opinion is irrelevant since he has no idea what we’re talking about. Rousseau or Voltaire?” Aaron started. 

“It’s already a flawed argument because there is no fair way to compare them. Rousseau wrote pieces like The Social Contract and confessions, he was a philosopher, he was a deep thinker. Meanwhile, Voltaire wrote farce, like Candide and Zadig. He was a satirist, he was a man who mocked. To compare them at all is flawed,” Alex stated.

Maria pursed her lips. “Alex isn’t our friend anymore and I’m still right.”

“Rousseau was  _ not  _ better than Voltaire!” Aaron gasped.

“He was too!” Maria groaned. “He was a literal genius!”

“That doesn’t make him better!”

“Hey,” John muttered in a low voice, leaning into Alex. “You all good?”

“Yeah, just been doing some thinking. Coming to terms with death. Trying to make myself okay with the idea that I could be responsible for the deaths of the people I care about and myself.”

“Huh. Heavy.”

“Yeah.”

“You wanna go get a little buzzed in my bunker? I managed to nick a bottle of cherry wine from Lupin’s office.”

Alex nodded. “Hey, John and I are gonna go get some business done.”

“Ooh, damn, y’all gonna fuck,” Maria snorted. “Whatever, it’s not like Alex was offering anything anyway. Damn fool, unopinionated. That’s not your job, asshole! You have the opinions!”

“Not this time,” Alex smiled, getting up and walking out of the dining hall with John.

“So, hey, are you good? That’s some heavy stuff to deal with,” John began, bumping Alex a bit.

“Eh, I dunno. You know, it be like that sometimes.”

“True.” John hummed as they opened the closet door, opening up the trap door and dropping down into the hallway. “You think you’re gonna die?”

“Statistically, it’s probable. It’s probable everyone involved with this might die.”

“Why do you say that?” John asked.

“Because it’s true.”

“Is that your anxiety talking or facts?”

Alex looked at John. “We’re a ragtag group of wizards trying to defeat the best wizards in Britain and maybe even the world. Facts.”

“Ah, yeah.” John opened the door to his bunker and spelled the cork off the bottle of wine. “Are you scared?”

“I dunno.” Alex took the bottle and took a sip. “I guess. Wouldn’t make sense if I wasn’t.”

“S’pose not.” John sighed. “I really hope you don’t die.”

“Yeah, me too, but I’d rather you guys live and me die than the other way around. I mean, you guys didn’t ask for this. And I’d try to convince you to not get involved, but Maria once followed me  _ towards  _ the sound of explosions, right in front of what’s his fuck.”

John laughed. “What’s his fuck?”

“You know, fuckin’... Voldemort! That motherfucker.”

John snorted, taking a sip of the wine. “He who must not be named?”

“Fear of the name only creates fear of the thing itself. That’s why I try to say the words ‘rejection by my loved ones’ at least twice a day.”

“Oh, God.”

Alex smiled, leaning against John. “I’m not scared, I’m just worried. I mean, I won’t know if I die, and I’m cool with that. But if you guys die, and I don’t… I’d know. And I just don’t want to happen.”

“Are you sure that you’re going to die?”

“There’s a fifty-fifty chance.”

“That’s about fifty percent more than I’d like it to be.”

“You want a hundred percent chance I’m gonna die. You’re sick of me,” Alex joked, smiling a bit as he brought the bottle to his lips.

“That’s not really that funny.”

Alex stopped and looked over at John. With the sight of John’s frown, Alex’s lips pulled down too, and he set the bottle on the mat. “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t really want to lose you, Alex. I mean, believe it or not, I actually quite like you. I think you’re funny and interesting, and you’re someone I really enjoy spending time with. I would like to continue spending time with you, and I don’t want this to interfere with that.”

“Well, if you became a necromancer, you wouldn’t have to worry about that, or if you became a medium, got really good at-”

“Are your jokes a deflection from your true feelings or are you not taking my concerns seriously?”

“Big deflection. I’ve never had to go to therapy and now that I need it I do not have the opportunity for it.”

John smiled a bit and put his arm around Alex. “Hey, everything is gonna be okay.”

“You don’t know that though.”

“No, I don’t.” John sighed. “But, worst comes to worst, me, Maria, and Aaron become necromancers or medians.”

Alex chuckled a bit. “I just want you to know that I really don’t think you should be helping. I mean, I don’t think anyone outside of me should be doing this, putting themselves at risk, but you especially.”

“Oh yeah? Why so?”

“Because you have a lot of people depending on you.” Alex took a long sip of the wine. “I mean, John, you… your mother. I would… I don’t think I’d ever be able to look her in the eye again if something happened to you. I don’t want you getting hurt, and I don’t want her to lose you.”

John frowned a bit. “I’m still gonna help.”

“I really wish you wouldn’t.”

“I know. But I’m your friend. And friends help their friends.” John kissed Alex’s temple. “Even if that help does involve fighting an evil wizard and almost dying.”

Alex huffed but smiled. “I just really don’t want you getting hurt.”

“And I won’t get hurt, I promise. Everything is going to be okay, and we’re all gonna live happily ever after, visiting each other in various places in the world.”

“Everything is just fucked up. Why did it even matter that my mother and I were alive?”

“I’m sorry, Alex.”

“It’s okay, it’s not your fault.”

John sighed. “I wish I could do more.”

“Believe it or not, drinking wine with me in a hidden bunker is helping a whole lot.” Alex looked over at John. “I’m gonna force Lupin to train you guys to defend yourselves against harsher spells, so don’t leave.”

“Lafayette wants to help too, you know. He doesn’t show it, but-”

“I get the sense Lafayette’s love language isn’t very verbal or physical,” Alex stated.

“It’s not.”

“I’ll force Lupin to teach him too.” Alex smiled. “But, anyway, stick with me, I gotta find those guys after dinner, and then we’re all getting more classes.”

“More classes, exciting,” John mumbled.

“Maybe you guys can just start skipping your other classes. I mean, I’d like you to be as prepared as possible for all this.”

“Yeah, I would like to be as well.” John sighed. “Alright, enough heavy stuff. You wanna make out for a bit? Finger each other? I’m horny, and there were ulterior motives bringing you down here alone.”

“God, yeah, please.” Alex put his hand on the back of John’s neck and pulled the two of them down, kissing him. “Put up your dukes, Laurens.”

John smiled, pushing a bit of hair out of Alex’s face. “You got it, Hamilton.”

The two managed to finish a few minutes before dinner officially ended, so John and Alex ran to the dining hall to meet Maria, Aaron, and Lafayette out front. Maria made a few sex jokes, but all in good heart.

“You guys wanna learn some useful magic?” Alex asked, smiling a bit. “Because I’m forcing someone to teach you about useful magic.”

“Sounds like it’ll fuck. Let’s go.” Maria threw her arm around Aaron and they began to walk in the opposite direction of the dorms.

“You know,” Laf started. “Some people say there’s a wicked serpent under the castle, one that could kill you by just looking at you.”

“That’s fuckin’ sick.”

“There was a girl who was killed by it before we got here.”

“What makes you think of that?” John asked.

Lafayette looked around. “Just, some people think it can be accessed through the lavatories, and we’re by the second-floor girl’s lavatory.”

“Why do we even call it the girl’s lavatory?” Maria asked. “Everyone uses it.”

“Yeah, but if we called it anything else, the teachers would know that everyone uses it.” Aaron stopped, then tapped his foot on the ground. “Do you guys feel that?”

“Feel what?” Alex asked.

“It’s like, thudding.” Aaron creased his brows. “Coming from outside.”

“Hm, I think we should keep walking and mind our own business,” Maria decided.

“No, we should check it out,” Alex decided.

“Men are daft,” Maria groaned. 

None of them had time to go to the window though, because, in a moment, a large beast had burst through the window. It was big, hairy, with two large pinchers that could very easily fit your head in them. It took not a moment of hesitation for it to begin chasing the kids.

“Goddammit! We just had to stay and check it out!” Maria yelled before throwing a spell back at it, momentarily stopping it.

“What is it?” Alex asked. 

“An acromantula!” John responded. “They’re giant spiders!”

“Thanks, captain obvious!” Maria retorted. “What’s the plan here? I only got about three more minutes of running in me. Alex, can’t you be a crazy psycho?”

“I could try!” Alex looked over his shoulder and threw fire at the creature. A screaming was emitted, though it sounded like a high pitched whistle tone, but the thing kept chasing them. “Alright, can we make it to Lupin’s?”

“Bro, we are not athletic kids!” Maria yelled. 

“Well, then I need you guys to buy me some time.”

“How much time we talkin’?” Laf asked.

“Twenty seconds?”

“Okay, then you best use those twenty seconds, because I ain’t got a whole lot in me,” Lafayette stated. “Alright, guys, on three, we’re gonna turn around and hit it with everything we’ve got, alright? Alex, you’re gonna get your shit together and give the opportunity to not have to run anymore, got that?”

“Alright, got it.”

“Alright, one three!” Laf yelled. “One, two, three!” 

Aaron, Maria, John, and Laf turned and hit the spider with everything they got. Meanwhile, Alex rubbed his hands together, building up the fire blast. It wasn’t working though. Something just wasn't there.

“You almost ready?” Laf asked, shooting purple lightning at the creature.

“I can’t… It’s not working!” Alex gasped. 

“What do you mean it’s not working?” Maria yelled, whipping her head over.

“There’s no… It’s not lighting!”

“Do we need to be more in danger?” Aaron groaned. 

“Guys, can you please focus?” John urged. “I feel like I’m doing this all on my own!”

“Well, we wouldn't need to if Alex just did the freaking magic already!” Maria gasped. “Come on, dude! You’re the genius murder kid!”

“Ah, come on, come on!” Alex muttered, rubbing his hands together, trying to get anything to appear. 

“Ah!” John suddenly began running, and as the others looked back towards the spider, they realized why. It was going straight for them, their lack of spells giving it that opportunity.

“Alex, run!” Maria shouted. 

“Wait, wait-” Alex’s eyes lit up as sparks began to fly at the tips of his fingers. He felt the power in his body surge, and just like that, he let go.

A stream of fire was sent at the creature, and when it was done, all that was left was a pile of ashes. Alex took a deep breath, looking at the pile, which was about two meters away. He creased his brows, then took a deep breath. All he could smell was burnt hair.

“Well, there we go, murder kid,” Maria huffed. “You singed yourself a bit, you know that?”

“I did?”

Maria held up the ends of Alex’s hair, showing them blackened and split. “I’ll give you a haircut tonight. Don’t worry.”

“What took so long?” John asked.

“I dunno.”

“Well,” Aaron started. “Bellatrix LeStrange isn’t going to wait for you to get your mojo like that, and we won’t be able to hold her off like that either. You better get real good at shooting fire from your hands.”

“I am, I am.” Alex laughed as they began walking to Lupin’s classroom again. “It’s a new skill though, and I’ve never used it in a dangerous situation. The whole thing is about inner peace, and I’m not very good at inner peace.”

“So wait, to use fire, you have to understand inner peace?” Maria asked.

“There’s a bit more to it than that, but yeah, for the sake of time, pretty much.”

“Well, not to be a dick, but you don’t seem very internally peaceful,” Lafayette pointed out.

“I’m not.” Alex huffed a bit. “That’s the most frustrating part. I don’t even know the beginning of inner peace. My teacher told me a story about Buddha, but I don’t see what that has to do with inner peace.”

“Dude.” Lafayette laughed. “Buddha was like a master of inner peace. Hold on, do you meditate?”

“What? No, of course not.”

“Well, that’s your issue.” Lafayette thought for a moment. “I’ll teach you how to meditate, open up your chakras. Maybe that will help.”

“What gives you that kind of authority to open my chakras?” Alex asked. 

“Well, my foster family, they’re Buddhists, so we do all that stuff, the meditation, chakras, inner peace. Your teacher had a point in telling you that story. Buddha was the man. He mastered inner peace.”

“So you’re gonna teach me to meditate?” Alex asked slowly.

“Yeah. How early can you wake up tomorrow?” Lafayette asked.

“Five.”

“Great, then meet me in the back courtyard at five-thirty. We’re gonna get you some inner peace.”

Alex smiled. “Thanks, Laf.”

Lafayette looked more exasperated than anything, but he smiled at Alex. “Yeah, no problem.”


	23. The Battle At Hogwarts Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone is safe and okay. Shit's a mess, I know, but at least we have frozen mozzarella sticks and marinara sauce.

It was a dark and stormy night when Alex was awoken from his sleep. The first thing he saw was Aaron getting dressed, then his teacher George, standing over him and gently waking him up. Alex pulled his blanket back over his head and mumbled something about five more minutes, but George wasn’t taking that.

He pulled Alex out of bed and handed him some clothes. Half-awake, Alex dressed himself and followed George and Aaron out of the boys’ dorm. Maria was waiting for them in the common room but stood and followed them as they walked out. Alex was still tired, he didn’t quite know what was going on. He tried to wake himself up a bit but his eyes were drooping and his legs felt heavy. He wanted to go back to sleep.

The group arrived at Lupin’s office, where John and Laf were already waiting. The sky was just starting to lighten up, it was a dark blue, but you could just see the silhouette of the trees against it. Alex let himself fall into a straight back velvet chair and put his chin in his hand, letting his eyes droop a bit.

“Now is not the time to be falling asleep, Alexander,” George commended. The man pushed a cup of coffee into Alex’s hands. “Wake up now, you are in far too much danger to remain tired.”

“Me? In danger? Good Christ, I thought you dragged me out of bed to tell me something new,” Alex muttered, sipping his coffee.

Maria laughed lightly, though she looked nervous. 

“Well, now it is more imminent.”

“And what does that mean?” Alex asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“It means, dear boy, that the castle borders have been breached, and we are under attack.”

Alex jumped at the sight of Dumbledore, stepping through the doorway with McGonagle and Snape just behind him. “Jesus Christ.”

“Good morning, Alexander, I trust you are aware of the circumstances we are in right now?”

Alex shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment. “Wow, I really gotta get on drinking this coffee.” He took a sip and looked around. “So what’s the deal? What’s happening?”

“Well, a band of death eaters has broken through the castle borders, and-”

Alex cut McGonagle off. “But they’ve done that before. Why is this a big deal?”

“Because these are not low-level death-eaters. These wizards…” McGonagle stopped, sighing. “They’re quite powerful, Alexander. Powerful enough to get through our borders, powerful enough to take us all out.”

“So then, like, what’s the plan?”

“Hopefully, to kill them before they kill you,” George stated.

“And if that doesn’t work?”

“We’re well past those questions and you know it.” George sighed. “Look, you just woke up, you’re confused, I get it, but these wizards, they aren’t going to work around your schedule. You need to get your game face on right now. There’s nothing we can do to stop them from coming, we just have to get you somewhere easy to leave and hard to find.”

“What about my friends?”

“I’m actually pretending to be you,” Lafayette stated.

“What? No one would believe that. You’re tall.”

“Really? That’s why no one would believe that?”

“It’s early,” Alex groaned.

“Yes, it is,” George agreed. “And those death eaters, they aren’t entirely sure what you look like, so if we throw a cloak of Laf, he will perhaps trick them. Maria, John, Aaron, and Laf will make their way to the second story girls’ lavatory, accompanied by Lupin. Hopefully, some death eaters will follow and we can take them out.”

“And what about me?”

“You, dear boy, will head to the greenhouses.”

“I don’t feel good about putting my friends in danger so I can just… sit around. I’m sorry, this isn’t even the original plan. What happened to facing them as a united front?”

“That was never the plan Alex, and you knew that,” Lupin stated. “Some things are bigger than you;  _ You  _ are bigger than you.”

“No, I’m not.” Alex shook his head. “I’m sorry, they want me dead because I’m the silly little consequence of a one night stand.”

“Alex, you need to list-”

“Listen to what?” Alex stood up. “I’m sorry, hold on, you know what, at this point, I don’t even see why we’re doing this. What if I just died? Would that be so hard? At least the rest of you would be safe.”

“That’s not an option!” George shouted. 

Alex quieted instantly. It was the first time he had ever heard George yell.

“That’s not an option,” George repeated, softer this time. “Alex, you were always meant for something more.”

“No, I wasn’t,” Alex muttered. 

“Yes, you were.” George closed his eyes. “Good God, so many things your mother wanted to tell you under so many different circumstances. So many things you  _ should’ve  _ been told under different circumstances.”

“Wait, what does that mean?” Maria asked, standing up.

“It does not involve you,” George stated.

“Don’t talk to her like that,” Alex started.

“Yeah, and also I’m just advocating for my friend! I’m sorry, I’ve heard a lot of good things about you, but keeping secrets of this level of importance from Alex, that’s a shitty thing to do! I mean, this is entirely on you.”

“The situation wasn’t-”

“No, he should’ve known from day one, everything about himself. It wasn’t fair of you to keep that from him as a child, especially since you knew something like this was probably going to happen. So tell him everything, right now.”

Alex looked at Maria, trying to say thank you without the slightest bit of movement.

George sat down, sighing, and pinched his brow. “We don’t have time for this.”

Alex shook his head. “Gimme the bullet points.”

“The bullet points?” George groaned. “Okay, okay, fine. Look, you are a powerful wizard. More powerful than you should be. Your mother and I knew that from the moment you were born. She didn’t feel pain giving birth to you, you know that? It’s because you have power, something you haven’t truly accessed yet, and-”

“Well, what does my mother not feeling pain have to do with anything?” Alex asked.

“Because somewhere inside you is the power to stop people from hurting, to heal people, you’ve just never been in a situation where you needed to do that.”

“Uh, my mom died,” Alex pointed out.

“Yeah,” Maria nodded, supporting Alex though she wasn’t entirely sure what was going on.

“You can’t heal dead people, dead people are dead.”

“Dead people are dead,” Alex repeated, running his hand through his hair. “Oh, God. So what does that have to do with anything?”

“There’s a lot of evil in this world, Alex, and someday, we will have to fight that, all good will have to fight that, I believe strongly that you are capable of leading that fight to victory.”

Alex groaned. “Why? If anyone in this room is capable of leading a fight against evil to victory, it’s Maria.”

“Yeah,” Maria nodded. “Wait, what?”

“You’re an abolitionist anarchist, dude. You’re way more qualified than me,” Alex pointed out. 

“Oh, yeah, maybe.”

George sighed. “Look, we no longer have time for this, we need to get going, put things into action.”

“But on my terms,” Alex decided. 

“We don’t have time to hash out your terms!” Lupin cried. “Don’t you understand? Every second we spend here is a second closer we come to death!”

“Well, we will risk no one’s life! We face them together!”

“That’s risking all of our lives, dumbass,” Maria pointed out.

“Hey, you’re supposed to be on my side,” Alex complained.

“I am, which is why I think we should risk none of our lives.” She smiled.

“Do you have something in mind?” Lupin asked.

“I have so much in mind,” Maria replied. 

-

“They’re called cloning bombs,” Maria started, as they walked through the halls, hearing the sounds of the death eaters echoing against the stone. “Really simple, really easy. Just spit-” She spit on the ground. “And spell.”

In an instant, the spit transformed into Maria. Well, it wasn’t Maria, but it certainly looked like her, almost. Something was just a little off.

“The incantation is ‘duo de me’. It’s important you get the pronunciation right, it’s ‘meh, not ‘mee’. Don’t over-pronounce things, it’ll make it more difficult.” Maria turned to look at them. “Do this as many times as possible. The higher the population of you, the lower the chances are that you’re gonna die.”

George nodded. “Alright, well, let’s get on it.”

Alex had to admit, moving quickly through the halls, dodging the shadows of up and coming death eaters, and creating as many clones of himself as possible with his friends was actually almost fun. The circumstances weren’t great, but Alex was still just a teenage boy. For any teenage boy, no matter what, it would be hard to believe that someone was trying to kill you, so it was hard for Alex. He almost thought it was just… not real. 

“We should split up,” Lupin decided as they came to a fork in the hallways. “George, you take Alex and Maria, you both get Alex somewhere safer. John, Aaron, Laf, you come with me, cause some trouble for the death eaters.”

“Hey,” Maria muttered, grabbing Aaron’s arm. “Stay safe.”

“I will.” 

John pressed a small kiss to Alex’s temple. “You got way too many muggle books to tell me about. Don’t die.”

“I got way too many muggle books to tell you about, you don’t die either.” Alex smiled, touching John’s hand. “Remember, you’re good at the blasting spells.”

“And you’re good at everything.”

“Alright, come with me,” Lupin began, jogging down a hallway in the opposite direction.

John smiled at Alex one last time before following their teacher. Alex, Maria, and George went the other direction, leaving the occasional clone bomb, but most of them were fresh out of spit, so the spells were few and farther in between. 

“Where are we going?” Alex asked. 

“Clock tower,” George answered. “Year three, I managed to dodge a very angry Filch and his very angry, now pink, cat by hiding out in the clock tower. There’s nowhere better in this school to hide out.”

“Not even the room of requirement?” Alex asked.

“The room of requirement would be nicer, but we don’t have that option anymore. Spent too much time arguing.”

“Well, that’s on you,” Maria stated. 

George gave her a look but didn’t say anything. 

Alex agreed with George’s choice to do that, because Maria was a truly unstoppable force, and once she had an opinion, that was it.

They made it to the clock tower, and George sealed the doors. “Alright, if they do get here, that should hold for a few minutes, enough to give us some time to figure out what to do next.” He turned and began to open up the windows, looking out to see just how high up they were. “God, I haven’t been up here in years.”

Alex looked over at him from where he and Maria were spelling the clock to stop so it was quieter. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, on my last day, Lupin, Serius, James, Peter, and I came up to shoot spells at the first years below. Nothing harmful, just ones that turned their hair pink, or made their nose grow about four inches out of their face for an hour or so.” George smiled at the memory, but it was a sad smile. “So much has changed.”

“Makes you feel better,” Maria started, pulling out a pack of gum. “I still bully the first years.”

George laughed. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, sometimes you gotta.” Maria popped a piece of gum in her mouth before tossing the packet over to Alex. “You gotta, or they get big heads like they own the joint. I did not become a known anarchist who single-handedly scared off two ministry issued defense teachers for some snot-nosed first year to not fear me.”

“I’m glad the chaos at Hogwarts has remained.” George looked to the door, then back to Alex and Maria. “It feels like everything and nothing has changed since I left. I almost hated leaving, you know. So much work needed to be done.”

“Yeah, well at least I’m not incorrectly labeled as a witch,” Maria stated. “I mean, no disrespect to witches, we love witches, they basically cured my arthritis, but I’m not a witch. And, you know, other people have continued to work on the school. And the wizarding world.”

“Good. I feel like there’s never enough done, we could always improve,” George muttered. 

“Well, not always,” Alex stated. “Some things are perfect.”

“Well, that all depends on your definition of perfect.”

“But some things are objectively perfect. It’s not like cake.”

“That’s the thing though,” Maria stated, blowing a bubble with her gum. “Nothing is objectively perfect. Something that is perfect to me is not perfect to other people.”

“Well, there is a correct way to do everything,” Alex argued.

“But who defines what is the correct way to do it? Each person is just putting forward their own version of perfect, it’s all just opinion.”

“There’s a mechanical way to do everything.”

“But even the mechanical way is not perfect for everyone. I mean, even if your society was mechanically, statistically, and mathematically perfect, there would still be those who are unhappy with it. Physically, it is impossible to please everyone.”

“Unless everyone was raised with the same beliefs, taught the same things, understand everything the same.”

“But that’s just not realistic,” Maria pointed out.

“Neither is a perfect society.” 

“You’re right.”

Alex paused. “If a perfect society is impossible to achieve, why fight for one?”

“Who’s to say I’m fighting for a perfect society? For Utopia? My own El Dorado? I’m not. I’m fighting for our society to get close enough to perfect that the imperfections are meaningless, that they can be argued. The rights of living creatures cannot be argued, and yet they are. I’m fighting for our rights, everyone’s rights, to be something that cannot be argued, bartered, or stolen.” 

“That’ll be imperfect to a whole lot of people,” Alex pointed out.

“Are you taking their side?”

“No, but I’m just pointing out that to them, society won’t be near perfect at all.”

“Sucks to suck.”

George laughed. “It’s good to see that the philosophical talk did not stop in my absence.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m a half-blood. Mom’s a witch, Dad’s a muggle, bit of a nasty shock for him when he found out.” Maria laughed. “But my dad, he’s an English and Philosophy major, so during school, I learn magic, and in the summer, it’s books and philosophical conversations.”

“Bah, I never liked that about Hogwarts. All magic, no critical thinking, no English or math.” George shook his head. “Math is important, do they know that?”

“Thank you,” Maria nodded. “I taught myself algebra. A lot of textbooks were lost in that struggle.”

“Did you spill stuff on them?” Alex asked.

“No, I got frustrated and set them on fire.”

“Oh.”

“Honestly, as someone who also taught themselves algebra, that’s really fair,” George decided. 

“Yeah, and-”

Their conversation died out very quickly when a loud bang was heard against the door, and sparks came shooting in from under it. George jumped up, pushing Maria and Alex behind him as the bang came again. 

“How did they find us so quickly?” Maria asked. 

Alex paused, then stopped. “John had a map, a map, and it, he… it told you where everyone-”

“The Marauders Map? I thought that thing was destroyed!”

“ _ You know what it is _ ?”

“Know it? I created it!” George shook his head. “Shit, shit. This is bad. Alright, get ready, I’ll do my best, but if you guys need to leave, go.”

“George, wait-”

Alex didn’t have time to talk, because suddenly the doors burst open, and in walked the death eaters, with his bloodied friends in their grasp.

And just like that, it hit Alex. This was real. This was all very real. He couldn’t stop staring at John’s face, bruised and bloody, haggard. He looked like he was fading in and out of consciousness, he looked scared and hurt. Aaron and Laf were in the same condition, Alex could only imagine where Lupin was. 

“Hello, Alexander!” Bellatrix LeStrange cackled. “We found your little friends!”

Alex took a step back, feeling his stomach burn. His fight or flight response was kicking in, and it was telling him to fly. To get the fuck out, right away. He couldn’t think or hear anyone, he couldn’t feel anything. The only image in his head was the room of requirements, that safe little space he hid in, where no one would find him. 

Alex took another step back, then another. He couldn’t hear anyone, his head was full of sand, he felt like he was going to pass out. 

He took another step back, right off the balcony. He didn’t realize he was falling, but some instinct did, and before he even had the chance to pick up speed, he disappeared from his place in the air and reappeared in the only place he could think of that was safe. 


	24. The Battle At Hogwarts Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished the last chapter of this today, so I'll have it up at some point. Love u guys.

When Alex was a child, he and his mother would walk along the beach together. Rachel Levien wasn’t a magical being by any means, but she was amazing. She had lived on that little island longer than she could remember. She was a nurse, and in her tribe, she danced, beautifully. She knew every single tribal dance, and at night, they would light fires, and she would dance in the dance to the drumming and the singing, and it would be beautiful.

Alex was always sure that his mother was the closest thing you could come to Ateby. And in many ways she was. She was truly maternal, loving, like the ocean. She was fluid, merciless, and peaceful. She was everything you could need from a mother. 

She raised Alex like the ocean. Wild and free, seeing everything, existing in a truly free manner. Alex’s hair smelled like saltwater permanently, even now that he had been in London for so long. The ocean had a stronghold on him, it was his spirit, his energy. There were times, in his long stay in London, where he wondered if the ocean was truly his life source. Without it, he was just tired. He craved the saltwater, the feeling of sand between his toes, the sound of waves crashing against the shore.

He supposed that was what he was thinking about, watching the firewoman dance on his hand. He was hidden where he had hidden those weeks ago, in the room of requirements. There was the singed curtain, now under him and adjusted comfortably. He was sitting up as much as he could in the small space, watching the woman on his hand dance. It was a traditional dance, as it always was. 

It was irresponsible, to run and hide from the danger his friends were now in. Alex knew that. He knew what he did was a dick move, but… what else could he have done? He was good at magic, logically, but Alex wasn’t a great wizard, he was just Alex. He couldn’t fight off those wizards, he wasn’t meant to live a life defending good from evil. He was supposed to live on his island, teach surfing, and die happily. That was it.

As Alex grew more frustrated, the firewoman faded on his hand. He groaned, clenching his fist and sending sparks flying. He sighed, staring up at the wood grain of the armoire over his little divot. What even was the plan here? Was he supposed to just… get super powerful and defeat the evil wizards? This whole thing was stupid in Alex’s opinion. Why couldn’t he just go home?

Alex crawled out of his hidey-hole and down from where he was, looking around at the Room of Requirement. The thing was stacked high with so much shit. Alex was quick to find a sword and begin to wack at random things as he walked around. He wondered if he was having a mental break. It felt like it. Alex whacked a vase and broke it. 

“Huh,” he muttered, hearing whispers and watching a smoke-like substance rise from the vase and slowly disappear. “Hope that doesn’t bite me in the ass.”

Alex kept walking through the room, wondering why he was brought here. Teleportation had never been his strong suit, especially when he wasn’t really thinking about teleporting, but there he was, alone and hidden. He wished he had been able to take his friends with him. He wished hiding was a long-term solution to his problems.

But it wasn’t.

God, he was a little miserable. 

He was also a little hungry.

Alex blew air out of his nose and kicked a deflated soccer ball. He could almost hear Maria saying ‘it’s a football, you absolute nipple’. 

Alex didn’t really know what to do. He could just leave. He could just get out of the castle, make his way back to Nevis, go lay on the beach and get really tanked, and disappeared under mysterious circumstances. 

He probably shouldn’t go home if he’s trying to hide.

Alex sat back and wondered where he could go. The Galapagos seemed nice. It was also a hot island near the equator. Then there was The Republic of Congo, that was on the equator, and the coast. Somalia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Guinea. Hawaii wasn’t on the equator, but it was a war island with good surfing. 

For a second, Alex almost thought that disappearing under mysterious circumstances was the right choice, and then he thought about the people he was leaving for what? Torture? Maybe even death? Shit, Alex couldn’t do that. 

He was keeping the sword though. If magic couldn’t do it, he could always go back to fists. Bellatrix LeStrange could block a spell, but what are those skinny arms gonna do against a sword?

Alex wondered why they didn’t just load up on Glocks and pack the evil wizards full of lead. It would be easier that way. 

At least he had a sword. 

Alex realized he was gonna have to make it known that he was there, so he did no effort to hide as he left the room of requirement and walked back to the clock tower. He swung his sword around a bit, trying to get used to the feeling. He had never been trained in sword fighting, but he wanted to at this point. He liked the way the sword felt in his hands. He jogged up the stairs to the bell tower, peeking through the doorway to see what was happening. His friends were tied up, not in great shape, while the death eaters argued over what to do next. Alex shrugged and walked in, joining the conversation of the death eaters.

“We should just kill them!” One of them argued. “That would get his attention.”

“We don’t even know where he is!” Another argued.

“Bet he’s in plain sight,” Alex pointed out.

“No, he’s young, not stupid.”

“You’d be surprised,” Alex replied.

“Well, he-” Bellatrix stopped, then looked directly at Alex. “Wait a goddamn minute.”

Alex smiled brightly, wishing he had chosen to go to the Republic of Congo. “Hi.”

It was like a scene from the goddamn Matrix.

Alex had always been good at backbends, and thank God he did because he missed every single spell that was thrown at him in those first three seconds of evil wizard fueled rage. The whiplash of the backbend was enough to knock him down to the floor, hitting his head hard against the stone floor. The distraction he offered his friends was enough for George to spell them untied though, and then they were Alex’s distraction. 

See, one’s basic animal instinct is to not be on your back when one is being attacked, because that puts one's belly-up, and the belly is where all the organs are, and organs are generally important for being alive, so in the split second Alex had, where the shock of his friends’ escape still washed over the death eaters, he rolled onto his stomach, pushed himself up. 

And then the battle began.

The real battle this time.

And Alex didn’t run.

But oh God, he wanted to. 

He knew he couldn’t though. As spells whizzed past his head, as he threw out blocking shields for himself, his friends, he knew he was needed here. Maybe not in the grand scheme of things, he still wasn’t ready to come to terms with that, with the idea that he would be the one to help end evil forever, but he could accept that he was needed here, here, and now. Even if it scared the balls off of him. 

It was evenly matched, despite their ragtag group outnumbering the death eaters. Alex could feel himself wearing out from the spell casting. It was so rapid, none of them could get a moment to rest, and the clock tower was the perfect place for it. 

All the different hiding spots, all the places spells could bound off of. Alex wasn’t having a very good time though. He didn’t like fighting. Defensive spells had been the most boring to learn, and he rarely used them anyway. He wished there could’ve been a chess game that could’ve settled this. He was good at chess, sort of. Not as good as Aaron, but good enough. Good enough that he could beat these assholes if he wanted to. 

“How are we doing?” George shouted over the noise, looking to the younger ones in the group.

“I have to pee!” Maria shouted back. “But other than that, good.”

“Alex?” 

Alex hesitated before answering. He needed to gather his courage for his answer, stop his voice from shaking. He didn’t want them to know how scared he really was. “I’m good! Gotta take a whizz too though!”

Maria laughed, narrowly missing a paralyzation spell from a death eater. “Twins!”

Alex wished he could protect all of them. He wished he could lock all of them away, fight the death eaters on his own, and then come back and let them out, knowing they were safe the whole time. 

“Hey,” John mumbled, narrowly dodging a spell and getting behind Alex’s little barricade with him. “You good?”

“I’m fine,” Alex muttered. “You shouldn’t be with me. They’ll kill you if they get the chance, leave me unprotected.”

“Well, they’ll have to avoid getting killed by me first.”

Alex rolled his eyes lightly, but moved closer to John, so their shoulders were touching, then shot a spell and missed. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this.”

“I dragged myself into this. You’re my friend, couldn’t let you get killed without me.”

Alex heard John chuckle, but he didn’t think it was all that funny. He didn’t want John to die. He didn’t want anyone to die. 

Unfortunately, his thoughts on not wanting anyone to die distracted him long enough to be hit with a spell. Well, not hit, but grazed, and that grazing made him feel like the entirety of his innards got scooped out with a melon scooper. 

He shuddered, collapsing onto the ground. 

John gasped, watching his friend go down. “George! Something hit Alex!” 

“Is he breathing?” George asked.

John could see Alex shaking, see his chest rising and falling unevenly and rapidly, and hear faintly Alex’s voice. “Yeah, but he doesn’t look so good!”

“Hit him with a healing spell! It won’t do much, but it’ll-”

John cut George off. “I don’t know what a healing spell is!”

George groaned, and leaned back, finding an angle where he could just see Alex. He looked at the boy’s condition, then hit him with the right healing spell, bringing him back from his pain-ridden state. “He’s good now.”

“Alex, Alex, are you okay?” John muttered, ducking down below their makeshift barricade and shaking his friend a bit.

“Fuck, yeah.” Alex felt like he had water in his ears. “We can’t keep doing this.”

“Well, unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of options,” John pointed out, poking his head above their cover and shooting a spell randomly at someone. 

“Well, it has to end sometime.”

“You got any ideas?”

“Why are all our ideas being come up with  _ during  _ the fight?” Alex muttered to himself. “I don’t know, I don’t know, I need to think.”

John paused, then nodded. “Alright, I’ll cover you. Get thinking, Aristotle.”

Alex put a grateful hand over John’s, then began to think. He racked his mind for spells, anything that would work, anything that could save him and his friends. But what was there? He didn’t like defensive spells, he didn’t put much effort into committing them to memory. 

He could feel a panic attack begin to rise in his chest, but he did his best not to let it breach the surface. Alex had something to focus on, something he needed to figure out, but all he could think about was his mother.

What was she thinking, when those wizards attacked their home? She must’ve been so terrified. Alex remembered how she grabbed him, bustled him into their storm cellar, and kissed his forehead. He remembered the fear in her eyes as she told him she loved him for the last time. Spells had been flying anywhere, Alex didn’t truly even know what was happening, it was awfully late, and the fact that bad people were in the home didn’t sink in until he was let out of the storm cellar. He honestly thought there was a hurricane. 

If she were here now, he wouldn’t be able to protect her. His magical friends, maybe, but she would’ve needed his full protection, and he wasn’t strong enough for that, he had never been. He wasn’t now.

And because of that, everyone he loved was going to die.

Alex tried not to cry at that thought, but they were getting tired, and the death eaters weren’t. He couldn’t take out the death eaters. He didn’t know what to do.

He put his face in his hands and tried to hide the tears rolling down his cheeks.

“Hey,” John muttered, sliding down and putting his arm around Alex. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re all going to die, and it’s going to be my fault,” Alex stated, wiping his cheeks. “I’m so sorry, John, I shouldn’t have, I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

“Christ, Alex, I know that much.” John took Alex’s hands. “You need to know we’re here because we love you, and we would never let you go through anything bad alone. We all knew there was a chance we could die, but I would rather die fighting by your side than live a thousand lifetimes knowing I was too much of a coward to help.”

Alex took a breath, then nodded. “Alright. I know what I have to do. But I need your help.”

“Hey,” John smiled softly. “That’s why I’m here.” 

-

“So your plan is to blow up the whole bell tower?” John muttered, creasing his eyebrows. 

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“Not to sound selfish, but I am in the belltower.”

Alex looked at John, sighing. “I know, that’s why it’s important you get everyone else in the bell tower together, and tell George what I’m going to do.”

“So, I just tell him what you’re gonna do, and then what? We pray to whatever God we believe in?”

“No, he’ll cast a protective spell.” Alex paused. “Tell him to cast a protective spell.”

“How will you know when we’re ready?” John asked.

“You’ll send up blue sparks. Blue, John, blue. Remember that.”

“I cannot promise I’ll remember that. I’ll try though.” 

Alex looked at John, smiling with a pained look on his face. “You make me want to jump off this bell tower.”

John smiled, then kissed Alex’s hand. Go, get in the rafters, conceal yourself, I’ll send up sparks when we’re ready.”

“Alright. Be safe.” 

“You too.”

Alex didn’t really feel much as he climbed into the rafters, besides the tingling of the concealment spell. The noises around him faded out, and he tried to take deep breaths. He needed to focus on this spell, he had only done it a couple of times, and this time, it was important that it actually succeeded. Alex got to where he needed to be and waited. He could sort of see John, moving around, getting people, but it was difficult through the fog of spells. Alex took a deep breath and tried to focus. He could just see where John was taking the people back to, where George was, and he kept his eyes on that. 

Blue sparks, that’s what he was waiting for. Or was it green? Shit. Alex knew it was a cool color. Did he say magenta? Magenta wasn’t really a cool color. It was partially cool, Alex supposed, but not like, a  _ cool  _ color. It also wasn’t a very nice color. 

Maybe it was green.

Man, and Alex stressed on John to not forget. 

Alex let out of a huff, waiting for a moment. Then some purple sparks went up from where George was. Was purple the color? Next was green, then pink, blue, more purple. That son of a bitch had forgotten too. 

“Ha!” Alex smiled satisfyingly, realizing that he had stressed John not to forget color and John forgot it anyway. Then, it hit Alex that John was sending up those sparks for a reason. “Shit.”

Alex rubbed his hands together, creating sparks. He could feel the power build up, and just as he felt like he was about to explode, he jumped down from the rafters, and let go. 

The surge of power was enough to knock Alex unconscious. When he woke up, George was shaking him a bit. It was smoky, and Alex didn’t know where he was until he opened his eyes. They were in the courtyard. It was raining, which Alex appreciated for once in his life since he was covered in dust. 

Alex’s ears were ringing, and he didn’t feel confident enough to stand up, so he stared up at the grey sky, the blurry images of George’s face, and blinked slowly. Blood was trickling out of his nose. He felt like shit. The smell of burning hair filled the air. He wondered if he was singed bald. 

“Ow.”

George said something, but Alex couldn’t hear it. 

Instead of listening to what he couldn’t hear, Alex sat up, rubbing his head a bit. His hair felt burned, but it was still there. The ringing was starting to die down, and voices were starting to become decipherable, but Alex still felt like his head was spinning. Then he felt arms around him. He knew enough at the moment to know that it was Maria, and he hugged her bag. 

“You saved us,” she muttered, and Alex could hear that.

“You’re all okay?” He croaked out.

Maria smiled and nodded, tears in her eyes. “We are.”

“Oh, God.” Alex held her tighter, feeling tears come to his eyes as well. “Thank God.”

George pulled Alex up, wiping the blood away from under his nose. “Didn’t know you could do that.”

“Hey, I studied.” Alex smiled, then coughed. “Wow, I could kill for some Aleve.”

“Yeah, let’s get you some. You earned it,” Aaron chuckled. 

“Not to ruin the moment, but I do believe we have someone to deal with,” Lupin stated. 

Alex looked over and saw Bellatrix LeStrange, pinned to the ground by Lupin’s wand, laughing with blood between her teeth. She looked in bad shape, her face blackened from the ash, her hair singed. Alex realized he probably didn’t look much better. 

“This isn’t over,” Bellatrix laughed upon seeing Alex. 

“Yeah, it is,” Alex nodded. 

“Not in the grand scheme of things. We will meet again, Hamilton.”

Alex swallowed. “No, we won’t. This is over. I get that you’re my aunt sort of in some fucked up kinda way, but fuck this entire family reunion. This is it.”

“You’ll join us one day, Alexander.” She smiled, licking her lips. “You crave power too much. I can feel it. You’re hungry. That’s something you will never satisfy without our help. Because we could make you great. And you’ll always want that. Want more.”

Alex shook his head. 

Bellatrix laughed. “Say what you wish, but you know, deep down, a simple life will never be what you want, nor will it be what you have.”

“What should we do with her?” Lupin asked, looking at Alex. 

“Let her stand trial.” Alex glared down at LeStrange. “Let her rot.”

For a moment, Bellatrix’s smile faltered. Then she began to laugh. For a moment, it was all you could hear, that piercing laugh. Then she did something, something that no one expected, and only one person had time to react to. 

Bellatrix shot reddish-orange sparks at Alex, but they were just slow enough for John to jump in front of Alex. 

John’s body knocked Alex back, both of them flying about ten feet. Bellatrix disappeared with only the sound of a bird’s flapping wing, but Alex didn’t notice that. He could only stare at John. The boy was between his legs, gasping for air. The smell of burnt skin hung in the air like a stink you couldn’t get rid of. John’s hand shakily found Alex’s, but not in the way it had so many times before.

Because there was a hole in John’s chest the size of a cannonball. 

And he had maybe minutes before he died. 


	25. The Sound of a Broken Bell

"John, John, hey, no, hey, John, come on, it's alright," Alex spoke in a hurried tone, brushing hair back from John's forehead. "It's okay. It's okay."

John's head was in Alex's lap, but John could barely wrap his mind around that. All he knew was that he was in a lot of pain, and Alex was crying.

Alex had pressed one hand to the wound, trying to stop the bleeding, or the burning, or whatever was happening. He cradled John's face with the other, trying to will him back to health. He could feel the singing skin and fabric from John's sweater, burning his hand as well. He didn't care though. He wanted John to be alright.

What Alex couldn't see was the force field he had formed around him and John. He couldn't hear anything outside of it, and he didn't bother to look up. His friends, Lupin, and George were stuck outside of it, watching Alex cry, cradle their friend, and they couldn't do a damn thing about it.

"It's okay," Alex whispered softly to John. "Everything is going to be okay." He kept his hand over the burning hole in John's chest. "Don't worry, John, don't worry."

John's breath became very labored, filled with wheezing. He was dying.

"Hey, no, it's okay." Alex tried to stop himself from crying, but it wasn't working very well. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm gonna fix you up, don't even worry about it. Nothing bad is gonna happen. You're gonna be okay. It's okay."

John was in so much pain.

Alex closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to summon any bit of magic to his hands. Sparks shot out of his fingertips, but that was it. "No, no, no, please, no. Come on, come on."

John's body began to shake lightly.

"No, no, no." Alex shook his head. "No, please, no. Please no. Come on, John. It's okay." He closed his eyes and focused, trying to bring any sort of magic to the surface. His nose started bleeding, but that was it.

John closed his eyes and squeezed Alex's hand.

"Oh, God, no, please, no." Alex closed his eyes and tried again. And again, and again. "Why? Oh, God, please, please!" He was just hurting himself at this point.

John let out a breath, then went limp.

"Shit! Dammit! Fuck!" Alex shook John. "No, no, no, no, please, John, fuck!" Flames shot out the tips of Alex's fingers in rage. "Goddammit!"

The blue energy field surrounding the two protected the outside group from Alex's erratic flame-throwing, but also prevented them from helping him. Lafayette was sobbing into Maria, who was trying not to show any sort of feeling. Aaron was sitting down on the grass, head in his hands.

"Come on, come on." Alex placed his hands over the hole in John's chest. "Come on, I can do this. I can do this."

Blood was dripping from Alex's nose, the vessels in his eyes had popped. He looked haggard. He was pushing all of his energy into a spell he didn't even know how to do, and it wasn't working. Alex felt so sick, so tired, but he kept trying and trying. A pulse of energy would flow through him, then die at his fingertips, each and every time. He was trying so hard, and nothing was working.

Alex swallowed back the blood in his mouth and tried again, and again, and again. His vision doubled, his head spun, and all of his joints ached, but he persisted.

"Please, John."

"Alex."

Alex's head whipped up, and he just about threw up. 

There was his mother, and she was beautiful. 

She was wearing the traditional clothing of their tribe, her hair was flowing. Alex knew it wasn't really her though; she looked almost like a hologram. Alex wondered how much of that was his doubled vision, and how much of it was just her.

"Mom," he managed to choke out. "I can't, I can't help him."

"Baby, please." Rachel kneeled down next to Alex. "Let go."

"I can't. I can't. Momma, he's my best friend. I can't let him go."

"Yes, you can." Rachel offered a small smile, gently touching Alex's face. "Baby, just let go, I promise, everything will be okay."

Alex was quiet for a moment, staring at his mother. "I'm so tired, momma."

"I know, baby, I know." Rachel pulled Alex into a tight hug. "Just let go, it's okay. I've got you, sweet boy, I'm got you."

Alex closed his eyes and then he did it.

He let go.

When Alex opened his eyes, he was staring at the night sky. He was on his back, the sound of waves around him. He was floating in the ocean, he knew that much. He watched the night sky, wondering if he was dead. He didn't think so. It didn't feel like death, it just felt calm.

Alex enjoyed it. It had been so long since he had been in the ocean. Alex blinked slowly, tasting the saltwater on his lips. He felt so tired.

He closed his eyes and let himself drift off, drift into nothing.

Everything was so calm.

-

All Alex knew when he woke up was that his head hurt. It hurt like Hell. Upon further inspection, he realized that it wasn't just his head. His whole body hurt in fact. He felt nauseous, sick, sore like he had run a marathon with a high fever. It was bright in the room, and it emitted a loud groan from Alex, who wished someone would close the curtains.

"He's awake!" Someone gasped.

Alex cracked an eye open.

In a second, two bodies had tackled him into a hug, which made him feel even worse than he had before, but the smell of his friends made it worth it.

"I'm about to throw up on you," Alex admitted.

Maria and Aaron instantly stepped back.

Alex pushed himself up a bit, putting his hand to his head and groaning. He looked around a second, before figuring he was in the hospital wing. "I haven't felt this bad in a long time."

"Well, you just about died on us, and that would've meant that we fought all those death eaters for nothing," Maria stated.

Alex smiled a bit. "God, what..." He shook his head as memories of whenever he was last conscious came back to him. "John, is John alright?"

"Who's John?" Maria asked.

Alex gave her a wide-eyed look.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding, sorry, I thought it might be funny. Pretend he's your little coma friend that you dreamed up," Maria explained.

"I told her it wasn't gonna be funny."

Alex gasped, looking up to see John. "Shit!"

"Hello to you too," John laughed.

"You're alright? Wait, hold on, what happened? I'm so lost. I thought I was dead. Can someone please explain to me what's happening?"

"Hold on, this is painful to watch," Aaron stated, getting some pillows out to help prop Alex up. "There, is that better?"

"Yeah, yeah." Alex shook his head. "Okay, please, start from wherever I left off. I'm so... I have absolutely no idea what the Hell happened."

"Alright, because I'm cool and didn't have a hole in my chest a few days ago, I'll tell you," Maria decided. "So John got hit with a spell by Bellatrix, knocking the both of you back. Then, Alex, you emitted this like, force field, none of us could get through, so we kinda had to watch you both be all sad and emo."

"I was dying," John pointed out, sitting down.

"Emo," Maria confirmed. "So, anyway, Alex, you're trying to do something, but it was only making you look rough as shit. Right? I mean, damn."

"Thanks."

Maria smiled. "Anytime. So, suddenly, a ghost who I later learned was your mom, Alex, she showed up and hugged you, and then like, you just collapsed, and she put her hand over yours, which was on John's chest, and like, healed up John, for the most part, couldn't fix his ugly mug, but-"

"Hey, your friend likes my ugly-mug," John scoffed.

"No one _likes_ your ugly-mug, John," Lafayette stated, walking into the little curtain made hospital room. He smiled and looked at Alex. "Feelin' alive, coma boy?"

"Can that be my new nickname? Coma boy?"

"Let's bully Alex for saving my life," John decided.

"Yeah, I was almost free of him," Lafayette huffed, laughing.

Maria laughed a bit. "Aw, we're so mean to John."

"I did put Alex in a coma," John pointed out. "I would be mean to me too."

"Alright, fair enough." Alex sat up a bit more. "Should someone get my illegal guardian?"

"Ha, illegal guardian." Maria stood and grabbed Aaron's arm. "We'll go get him. Lafayette too." She looked at Alex. "Give you two a second to catch up."

John laughed awkwardly as the three left, then looked at Alex. "I'm really glad you're okay."

"I'm glad you're okay too." Alex sighed. "I'm sorry I almost got you killed. That wasn't the goal."

"Really? I thought you wanted me dead." John got up and sat on Alex's bed. "Don't worry about it. Wasn't your fault."

"Well, technically-"

"Shut up." John took Alex's hand. "Doesn't matter anyway, because we're both here, we're both okay."

"Yeah." Alex let out a long sigh. "Suppose you're right."

"Like always." John sighed. "You know, almost dying, it makes you think."

"Not me. Head empty. No thoughts."

John laughed. "I just, I was wondering-"

"Alex!"

"George!"

It took barely seconds for George to scoop Alex up in one long and gentle hug. "Everything's okay, Alex. Everything's okay. We can go home now."

Alex's eyes teared up. "We can?"

"We can," George confirmed. "It's okay. Everything's okay."

Alex spent two more days in the hospital wing, and then was let out in time for the last day of classes. He decided, since he had come this far, he might as well attend the ceremony, at least see who won the house cup.

The food they served that dinner was delicious. Alex sat with his friends, laughing and throwing shit at each other, while George and Lupin sat up at the teacher's table, talking quietly about whatever.

"Who do you think is gonna win the house cup?" Eliza asked, her mouth full of chicken.

"Gryffindor," Maria stated. "You guys always win."

"We do have the best quidditch team," Lafayette pointed out, eating a fry.

"Second best. Slytherin crushed you guys this year, and when we crush you again next year, I'll be sure to let you know."

"Awh, yeah, Aaron is gonna be here all alone next year," John pouted.

"I'll survive. Besides, I'm gonna be the head of the quidditch team, and I'll still see you guys on Holiday."

"Yeah, you all should come to Nevis for the summer," Alex suggested, looking up from his giant plate of food. "It rocks."

"We really should. Aaron and I will be there, you know that," Maria decided.

The group would've continued talking, but Dumbledore took his place at the podium. "Students of Hogwarts!"

Alex and Maria shared an eye roll.

"Once again, our year has come to a close. It has been interesting, to say the least. I have enjoyed seeing all of you at this school." Dumbledore looked around and smiled. "Much change has come to us this year, and I hope we've learned about tolerance, and how not to be quick to jump to conclusions about those around us. Anyways, once again, I am proud to say we have made it safely through another year."

"I literally died, but go off I guess," John muttered.

"I wish I could put into words how proud I am of all of you, for overcoming biases, persevering through the trouble, and earning every bit of triumph you are all basking in." Dumbledore smiled. "Now, let me move on to what you all have been waiting for; who won the house cup."

A wave of excited whispers fell over the dining hall.

"Now before I say this..."

John leaned over to Alex. "Hey, do you care about this?"

"Not really," Alex replied.

"You wanna get outta here?"

Alex looked at John and smiled. "Yeah, I do."

The two boys quietly got up, assuring the group they'd be back after dinner, and made their way out of the dining room and into the courtyard. The air was warmer, but Alex was still ready to go back to Nevis.

"This has been a wild year," John chuckled, looking up at the in-repair belltower. "Never thought my last year would be like this."

"You're welcome."

John chuckled.

"Hey, man, I mean, I dunno if you are doing anything this summer, but even if it was just for a week, I would really love it if you came down." Alex shrugged. "I mean, no pressure, but-"

"No, no, I want to come. I wanna try and spend the summer down there. I mean, I feel it's only fair. You had to spend all this time in England, I can at least spend some time in Nevis to make up for the torture."

Alex laughed.

"I dunno, I just..." John looked at Alex, his mouth a bit open. "I dunno."

Alex was quiet for a moment. "I think, before you say anything stupid right now, you should come down to Nevis. No one has a clear mind with all these clouds. Just, come hang out in the sun for a little bit, then say what you don't know."

John smiled. "I'm really glad we met, Alex. You've changed my life."

Alex leaned against John, smiling. "I'm glad we met too."


	26. The End of a Long Year

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter. It's short but at this point, I hated writing it so whatever. I'll have a new one up in a few days. I'm TRYING to get In Utero done, I promise.

The sand in Nevis was hot hot hot. The sun was an unforgiving torch turning pavement into a stovetop. Not even a cool ocean breeze could relieve one from that treacherous heat. There wasn't a cloud in the sky to offer salvation. Even the abandoned cups filled with lukewarm, watered-down beer had sweat dripping down the side of the glass.

Alex was home.

He wouldn't have gone inside for a million dollars. He wouldn't have left that beach for all the money in the world. He spelled his chest flat, put on a pair of short swim trunks, set a towel on the sand, and stayed right there.

He had a cold cocktail in his hand that he kept refilling, he had a book he read between sun-induced naps, and most importantly, he had his friends.

Maria, John, Aaron, and Laf had come to Nevis for the summer. Eliza would've, if not for the Habitat for Humanity work she had already planned in Honduras, but she was nearby and promised a visit at the end of her stint.

The group was paralyzed by the heat. For the first couple of weeks, no one was used to the high temperatures, not even Alex, so towels and cold drinks became the day, but after a while, they began to manage better under the blistering sun. Alex taught his friends to surf and retaught himself a little bit of how to surf. They were staying in Alex's house, which was in a Taino neighborhood.

Being back with his people, Alex couldn't help but feel completely at home. They were finally able to lay his mother to rest, sprinkle her ashes in the sea and give her body back to the ocean. George wasn't able to cook, so the community Taino dinners became a nightly habit, instead of weekly like it was when his mother was alive.

Everything felt so much richer to Alex. He supposed he had never realized just how good his island was until he was torn from it, but now, everything from the fruit to the sea brought so much joy into his heart. Sometimes he would cry, just because he was so happy to be home.

The fact that his friends were there made it even better. They would get some cold cocktails and walk around at night, laughing and complaining about the heat, they would eat at Caribbean restaurants, surf, and have a lot of fun. At night, they would all crash in various places around the house, or they wouldn't, and they would all end up back on the beach, staring up at the stars and wondering if they had ever seen anything so beautiful.

That was the best part about being back on the island, in Alex's opinion. Even if you didn't sleep a wink the night before, you'd have all day on the beach to close your eyes, doze in and out, assuming you got enough sunscreen.

The first couple of days, the entire group was nursing some tender skin with a bit of aloe vera, except for Laf, but he did have an unfair advantage.

"I feel like a hot dog," Maria mumbled, flipping onto her back and pulling a kerchief over her eyes.

"Why?" John muttered, his eyes closed and his consciousness waning.

"I roll every now and then to get evenly heated."

Aaron, who everyone assumed was asleep, laughed.

Alex pushed himself up, brushing some sand from his hair. "I'm gonna surf."

"I'm so jealous of your hair," Maria muttered. "I didn't know it was so pretty."

"Humidity and heat will do that," Alex replied, stretching.

John sat up, his hair looking more like an afro than it's usual curls. "Is my hair pretty?"

Maira laughed. "Yeah, you have pretty hair, John, I promise."

John took a hair tie off his wrist and tied his hair up. "I'm gonna surf too. Maybe I'll fall every time, but that's just how it be."

Alex smiled, picking up his bamboo surfboard. "Come on, hot stuff. Can't kick your ass on the sand."

"Ha!" John grabbed the surfboard he had been renting from the local surf shop. "You're just jealous that I drink more seawater than you."

Alex shook a bit more sand from his hair and the two boys walked to the beach. They both paddled out, waiting for a good wave. It was a calm day though, so they figured they might be out there for a few minutes before something showed.

"Man, you definitely did not do this place justice," John sighed, looking around.

"What's that mean?"

"Means you did talk highly of it, but man, it's gorgeous, Alex. I mean, in your defense, no one could do this place justice, but damn." John looked around for a moment. "It's amazing here."

"Now you get why I hated England so much."

"You just hated England because you're normal. No one _likes_ England, Alex. It's a monarchy for Christ's sake."

"Thought it had a parliament."

"A queen's a queen's a queen." John looked over at Alex and smiled. "I'm really glad I came here with you, you know that? I mean, shit, it's gorgeous. I love it here."

"Well, you'll always have a bed to sleep in here."

John looked out over the ocean. "Hey, check it."

Alex followed John's gaze and smiled at the bulging wave approaching.

The two boys got their boards turned around and pulled their feet up, waiting for the wave to hit them. When it did, it took barely seconds for Alex to stand up, riding the wave and laughing. John continued laying on the board, doing what Alex liked to call 'pussy surfing.' John had a shit sense of balance though, so that was the only way for him to ride a wave without face planting into the water. The wave was small, so Alex couldn't exactly be doing tricks, but just riding it was enough. He had always wanted to go to Hawaii, spend some time there taking advantage of the surfing scene.

"Not great waves today," Alex pointed out as he and John landed on the sandy shore again.

"Yeah, no, not really." John didn't know what he was talking about, but Alex was the expert, so he had decided to just agree with whatever Alex said.

"Is my back burning?" Alex asked.

John checked, then shook his head. "No, you're good."

"Cool." Alex let out a loud sigh, sitting down in the wet sand, waves lapping at his feet. "What do you wanna do tonight? I was thinking you and I could go do something."

John shrugged and sat down with Alex. "I don't care. You know that. Besides, you're the expert on this place. What do you want to do?"

Alex shrugged, then rested his head on John's shoulder. "I dunno."

John placed his head against Alex's. "I'm really glad I came, you know."

"Oh yeah? I couldn't tell from the two hundred times you've told me that," Alex joked, laughing a bit.

John looked over at Alex, then shook his head and looked back at the sea. "Don't think I ever loved the ocean like this before I met you."

"Yeah?"

"You do a really good job at romanticizing it. You know, technically, the ocean is fucking terrifying. We know more about space than we do the ocean. Who knows what the fuck is down there. God."

"That's my favorite part," Alex told John. "I think knowledge ruins a lot of things. I hope we never learn about the entire ocean. Mysteries are good sometimes."

"Remember Plato's cave allegory?"

Alex nodded. "Only spent about three months on it last year."

John laughed.

"Why?"

"I dunno, just popped into my head. I'm just thinking about that night we spent in the Gryffindor dorm, and you taught me about some basic philosophy. The cave allegory was my favorite."

"Why was it your favorite?"

"I don't know. Guess it was the way you taught it."

Alex smiled a little bit. "I liked teaching it to you."

They were quiet for a little bit, but John's hand found Alex's, and everything was good. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END.
> 
> What was your favorite part?
> 
> What was your least favorite part?
> 
> What surprised you most?
> 
> Who was your favorite character?


End file.
